Water-less Urinals 1 Martin Wafler, seecon international gmbh

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Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 3 Contents 1.Water-less urinals with rubber tube seal 2.Water-less urinals with curtain valve seal 3.Water-less urinals with sealant liquid 4.“Eco-Lily” 5.How it can optimise SSWM 6.Applicability 7.Advantages and disadvantages 8.References

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 4 Concept (adapted from GTZ 2009; 1. Water-less urinals with rubber tube seal Rubber tube seal Source: M. Wafler (2006) Uses a rubber tube that is flat at the bottom when not in use (and hence blocks odour from the sewer or urine storage tank) but opens up when urine is flowing through. This one-way valve allows passage of grit up to 2 mm. Urine precipitates (“urine stone”), which stick to the rubber tube need to be cleaned off with water regularly (otherwise the flat rubber tube does not close properly anymore). The rubber tube needs to be replaced around once a year.

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 5 Concept (adapted from GTZ 2009; 2. Water-less urinals with curtain valve seal Working principal of water-less urinal with curtain valve seal Source: BACHMANN (2009). [Accessed ] similar to the rubber tube seal, but designed to reduce maintenance requirements has “self-cleaning properties” as a small pressure difference forces the urine to wet the whole inner surface between the “curtains”, therefore flushing them clean For replacement of the curtain (if simple cleaning is no longer possible), the entire plastic casing is removed with a small plastic extractor tool (without having to touch the element by hand), then discarded and replaced with a new unit Curtain „Ki-Valve“

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 6 Concept (adapted from GTZ 2009; 3. Water-less urinals with sealant liquid Working principal of water-less urinal with sealant liquid Source: SINAQUA (2007). [Accessed ] works with a biodegradable sealant liquid (also called blocking fluid) which is made of vegetable oils or aliphatic alcohols The sealant liquid, with a specific gravity of around 0.8, floats on top of the urine contained in the trap and thus constitutes an effective odour barrier Urine immediately penetrates the sealant liquid and flows to the drain. Urine precipitates are collected in a cartridge or inner cylinder of the trap. The maintenance program of waterless urinals with a sealant liquid consists of cleaning of the urinal bowl, and the regular exchange of the cartridge (or the sealant liquid) Sealant UrineTo DrainSedimentation -chamber

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 7 Concept (adapted from GTZ 2009; 4. “Eco-Lily” Working principal of water-less urinal with sealant liquid Source: SUSTAINABLE SANITATION (2009); Simple, low-cost option Plastic funnel is inserted into the opening of a plastic jerrycan An old light bulb or a table tennis ball is placed into the funnel to act as odour seal

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: How it can optimise SSWM Water-less urinals can help in optimizing your local water management and sanitation system and make it more sustainable by: Reducing consumption of water (no flushing after urination) Allowing for neat collection of urine for reuse as liquid fertilizer (after hygienisation)

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: Applicability Water-less urinals are mainly installed (adapted from GTZ 2009) : At heavily frequented places such as stadiums, road side stops, stadiums, public facilities, schools, etc., But also household that opt to collect neat urine for reuse

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 10 Water-less urinals with rubber tube seal Advantages: can be cleaned many times before having to be replaced Disadvantages: rubber material is sensitive to solvents, acids, and deodorising tablets often used in urinals 7. Advantages and disadvantages Disadvantages: Not yet manufactured locally in developing countries Water-less urinals with curtain valve seal Advantages: “self-cleaning properties” flushing the “curtains” clean can be cleaned many times before having to be replaced

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 11 Disadvantages: Accumulating urine precipitates eventually render the trap inoperative Foreign objects, such as cigarette stubs, accelerate the process Some sealant liquid cartridges cannot be cleaned but need to be replaced when they fail Water-less urinals with sealant liquid 7. Advantages and disadvantages Advantages: May be refilled with tick cooking oil (this does not last as long as the recommended liquid, but is available almost everywhere)

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: 12 Disadvantages: light bulb/table tennis ball can end up sticking to the funnel metal cap on the light bulb contains heavy metals which can contaminate the urine (disadvantage of the light bulb over the plastic ball) “Eco-Lily” 7. Advantages and disadvantages Advantages: Low-cost

Water-less Urinals Find this presentation and more on: References BACHMANN (2009). URL: [Accessed ] GTZ (2009). Urine Diversion Components – Technology Review. URL: [Accessed ] AQUA (2007). URL: [Accessed ]

Water-less Urinals 14 “Linking up Sustainable Sanitation, Water Management & Agriculture” SSWM is an initiative supported by: Compiled by: