UAE | Environment
A novel way to conserve water
As concerns over energy conservation and an eco-friendly environment gain ground, a waterless urinal seems to be the next buzzword.
- By Mohammad Jihad, Community Journalist
- Published: 23:12 September 5, 2008
Dubai: As concerns over energy conservation and an eco-friendly environment gain ground, a waterless urinal seems to be the next buzzword.
According to one estimate, by not using water to flush just one urinal, you can save up to a whopping 192,000 litres of water a year.
With Urimat, a waterless urinal, you may soon be able to conserve enough water for yourself, your children and your grandchildren.
Marc Brown, the director of distribution for Urimat in the UAE, said: "Everything in the UAE is going green, so we thought, as small an idea as this is, it still contributes towards water conservation."
Working principle
As for the working of the new device, when there is enough pressure on the sealant that covers the urinal hole, it moves down and drains the urinal.
Once it has emptied the load, the sealant floats back up to block the hole and the odour.
The first thing many people would think about this is that it might not be hygienic. However, according to research by LGA, an independent German government agency, Urimat is in fact 63 per cent more hygienic than normal urinals.
It has largely to do with the material used to create the urinal.
It is made of polycarbonate plastic and its surface is non-porous - meaning that bacteria would not cling to the surface, unlike the stone or ceramic-surfaced urinals that are filled with holes.
The simple and smooth shape of the bowl also does not give bacteria the chance to build up in tight spaces.
Brown said: "Because Urimat is made of plastic and is not rinsed with water, the product stays at room temperature, keeping the surface in a better condition."
Chemical-free
"If this is not enough, a chemical-free spray is used to clean the urinal bowl. A litre of this solution, mixed with a small amount of water, would last a couple of months," Brown added.
He says it does not require any water pipes and is a completely recyclable urinal.
According to Brown, although it is more expensive than a normal urinal, the amount of water it saves compensates the extra cost.
He said one can see Urimat in many hotels, construction sites and factories around the UAE. They are also being installed in several shopping malls in Dubai.
Share this article
More from UAE Environment
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Dubai Airshow: Change in Emirates check-in time
- Dance group brings taste of Korean culture to Abu Dhabi
- EAD studies focus on water security
- Dubai Press Club marks 10th anniversary
- Visitors flock to see latest offerings at Sharjah book fair
- UAE combats human trafficking
- Ministry denies hijacking of UAE-flagged ship
- Saif meets special needs centre users
- Man says he repaid 95% of amount he embezzled
- Dubai saleswoman claims she was duped, raped
- Female clerk, waiter deny drug trafficking charges
- Live hoardings: Ad a glance
- Gem of a woman
- Dewa charges: It's a bitter bill
- Weighty matter: Zap those fat cells
Community Reports
-
Help me find my precious cat
Raif, my cute eight-month-old ‘fur ball', went missing in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area last month
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
