Better Urinal Management Can Stop You Pouring Water (And Money) Down The Drain

There is a growing pressure for companies to find ways to save water, and responsibility for the implementation of any water saving initiative often lies with facilities managers. But Dr. Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene, believes that he has a solution.

He believes that eco-friendly washrooms can make a positive contribution to the environment as well as save an organisation from costly water bills. He said: “The flushing of urinals in male washrooms remains one of the principal causes of wasted water. Indeed, traditional urinal cleaning systems can waste water by automatically flushing the urinal periodically, even when it isn’t being used.

“One famous sporting establishment, for example, with an extremely old system in place has around 40 urinals, which flush automatically every three minutes. Each urinal system holds four and a half litres of water, resulting in a loss of 788,400 litres of water per year per urinal.” Considering the cost of water in the UK is around £3 per 1,000 litres, Dr. Barrett believes that this unregulated flushing will be causing a huge, potentially unrecognised dent in the company’s finances.

However, he added that by introducing timed water management and odour control devices, a business can reduce urinal flushing to between just four and eight times a day.

He said: “Looking at the bigger picture, there is, today, a greater understanding of the need for such eco-friendly solutions. Water is a precious resource and, wherever you are in the world, it needs to be treated respectfully.

“In the washroom, this means reducing waste and finding ways to manage usage in an efficient and cost effective manner. Invest wisely and this will be coupled with financial savings as well, dispelling the myth that eco-friendly techniques are the most expensive option. In reality a simple washroom water audit followed by the retrofitting of water management could be saving businesses thousands of pounds every single year, as well as helping us meet our environmental obligations.”