How Waterless Urinals Work: The concept behind waterless urinals is simple. The design of the bowl prevents urine from pooling and gathering. Instead, it flows down through small holes or a grating at the bottom of the bowl into a small reservoir called a trap. Inside this reservoir, the waste flows through a barrier of sealant, an oil-like liquid lighter than water that traps odors and prevents the urine from being exposed to air. Once underneath the sealant, the urine rests in a cylindrical well around a raised section of exposed pipe leading to the drainage line for the bathroom.
As the waste rises higher than the top of the open drain pipe, the excess trickles down the drain. As more men use the urinal, the urine in the well continually flows out through the pipe as new urine displaces it. The urinals are designed in such a way that the flow of urine is continuous from the point it enters the trap until it enters the drain. This allows the waste to drain naturally, without needing to be forced out like a traditional urinal.
Waterless urinals were actually invented back in the 1990s, but the recent push toward green construction has made them a more viable, commonplace option.
Costs: The cost of waterless urinals varies based on quality and quantity purchased. A durable commercial grade waterless urinal can be obtained from www.airdelights.com for $320. Installation costs are estimated to be an additional $80 for a total unit cost of $400 per unit installed. The Hogan Building has 6 urinals that could be replaced with this system. Accordingly, the total cost to install this system would be $2,400. Cartridges in the system would need to be replaced every three months. Replacement catridges cost about $40 and would be a maintenance component represented in the buildings operational expenses.
Savings: In an office building, the water used for flushing urinals is the largest use of water in the building. Proponents of the waterless urinal system estimate it saves anywhere between 15,000 and 45,000 gallons of water per urinal per year. Given the six urinals located in the Hogan Building, installing the waterless system could realize savings of 90,000 to 270,000 gallons of water per year. This equates to significant savings on annual water bills.
Benefits: Due to the savings discused above, which will be realized by tenants on their utility costs under NNN leases, the tenants will likely be willing to pay a "rent premium," for space in the Hogan Building. The "rent premium" will be a portion of the savings realized by the tenant for energy and utility costs. After paying this portion to the owner, the tenant will still recognize a savings over what their costs would be in a building that lacked these sustainable features. Utilizing the waterless urinal system combined with the incorporation of other sustainable elements will allow the Hogan Building to command an additional $1/sf/yr on the rents in each space in the building's three above ground floors. This would equate to an increase in annual rents on the 15,600 sf of rentable space on the first 3 floors of approximately $15,600 and year.
Benefits of a sustainable building also extend beyond the financial realm. Occupying a "green building" is important to many young professionals who desire an urban lifestyle. Having "green aspects" incorporated into the Hogan Building will make it more attractive to this target demograhic.
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