Building manager East Asia Property Group estimates that it has saved about five million (5,000,000) litres of water in one year, by installing water-free urinals in a luxury office building in Sydney, that is enough water to fill five Olympic swimming pools.
The 117 urinals were installed a year ago, in the new 44-storey Aurora Place building at 88 Phillip Street, a property owned by Colonial First State Property. The urinals will help the building to achieve a green rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
By saving five million litres each year, the Property thinks that it is setting a good example for building owners and managers in Sydney, a city which for years has experienced some water shortages.
The discriminating occupants of the prestigious building, who include ABN AMRO, Minter Ellison, Challenger Financial Services, State Street and The Executive Centre, are quite satisfied with the innovative urinals. The water-free urinals are costing about the same to operate as traditional flushing urinals. However, there are savings in water and waste water charges.
The Uridan brand urinals have been supplied by Watersave Australia . The urinals are cheaper to buy and install in new buildings than the flushing urinals because they do not need cisterns, flushing valves or water pipes. Yet, the urinals are hygienic, as the urine drains through a stainless steel cover and into an oil-covered water lock, which acts like an S bend, into the waste pipe. A floating layer of biodegradable vegetable oil in the water lock covers the urine and eliminates odours.
Uridan urinals are easier to clean and maintain than ordinary urinals, as the urinals do not have a flushing rim and their lack of water prevents the build-up of ammonia and bacteria.
Watersave Australia distributes the urinals throughout Australia and New Zealand for manufacturers in Denmark.