The Harold Washington Social Security Center occupies a full city block in Chicago’s West Loop business section. The 10-story edifice is the Regional Headquarters for the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Although, the building was constructed in 1976—after the 1972 oil crisis that resulted in the creation, installation, and implementation of several new energy conservation measures—by current standards, the complex needed updating.

“When the first Bush was in office, we were instructed to cut back on energy use and given specific energy savings goals,” says Andy Andrzejewski, the facility manager. “These included not only cutting back on energy use, but also, because of growing concerns about the environment and sustainability, cutting back on the use of natural resources, such as natural gas and water. President Clinton took it a step further and established a timeline to meet these goals by 2010.”

According to Andrzejewski, by the beginning of the new millennium, the facility had made significant strides in saving electricity by switching to more energy-efficient light fixtures and ballasts, as well as ways to better control and monitor HVAC systems and overall power use. However, only marginal progress had been made in curtailing the use of water in the facility—that is until a complete renovation of all the restrooms throughout the structure was begun.

“At a Department of Energy Conference two years before, Larry G. Smith, facilities team leader, and I were introduced to water-free urinals,” he explains. “We realized that if they worked, they could help us reduce our water usage tremendously.”

With this in mind, Andrzejewski chose to collaborate with Falcon Waterfree Technologies, Grand Rapids, MI, one of the few companies in the world that manufacturers water-free urinals, to try them for a three-month period in the SSA’s newly renovated restrooms to see if the water-free fixtures could:

• Significantly save water and reduce disposal costs;

• Cut back on plumbing repair and other maintenance costs;

• Prove to be safe, odor free and hygienic; and

• Be accepted by the custodians who clean the restrooms and the men who use the urinals in the building.

“Because of all these concerns—and to be on the safe side—we had the plumbing for traditional urinals ‘roughed-in’ for the new renovated bathrooms, just in case the water-free fixtures didn’t work to expectation,” Andrzejewski says.

How They Work

Although water-free urinals have been around for many years in Europe, the technology is still relatively new in the U.S. “I know people who have been in the jansan industry for years and still have either never heard of them or have no idea how they work,” says Bruce Fleisher, vice president of sales and marketing for Falcon Waterfree Technologies. He adds that this is understandable, since only about 2% of the 20 million urinals in the United States are water-free.

According to Fleisher, water-free urinals are made from a nonstick, nonporous vitreous china or acrylic, and include a Falcon-patented, funnel-shaped cartridge installed at the bottom of the urinal, which is connected to a drainpipe. “They look just like any other standard urinal; they just don’t use water,” says Fleisher.

The secret to the device is in the cartridge. A biodegradable liquid sealant floats in the top of the cartridge, which allows urine to pass through to the drain line. The sealant assures an airtight barrier between the restroom environment and the sewer line to prevent odors from escaping into the restroom.

Fleisher explains the process in his own terms: “Uric sediment is collected by the cartridge, leaving not only an odor-free environment, but also clean pipes—with absolutely no water waste. A sealant ring provides an airtight barrier between the cartridge and the urinal housing. The only required maintenance is routine cleaning and a change of the cartridge every 7,000 uses—or approximately two to three times per year for most facilities.”

Going Water-Free

Andy Andrzejewski, facility manager at the Harold Washington building and a Falcon Waterfree urinal.

Once the new water-free urinals were installed in the SSA facility, Andrzejewski and Smith took a wait-and-see approach. “We hoped they could help us save water and cut costs,” they said, “but there was real concern regarding how well they would be accepted in the building.”

According to Ron Lancer of Meridian Management, project manager for the building’s management contractor, the custodial crew did have some initial reservations about cleaning the new urinals. “They were apprehensive about changing the cartridges, and they thought they needed water to not only clean the urinals but to flush away the urine to prevent odors,” he says. However, the custodians soon found that changing the cartridges every three months was simple, and cleaning the urinals was easier than cleaning traditional water urinals, because they needed less water and less detergent.”

Andrzejewski added that some men were puzzled on how to “use” the new urinals and were a bit uncomfortable with them. He also discovered that the old water urinals had been used by many male employees as a place to flush coffee grinds—a no-no with water-free urinals.

To address this, an e-mail was sent to everyone in the building on how to use—and not use—the water-free urinals, and a small sign was posted above each urinal clarifying that the urinal is water-free and requires no flushing. “Essentially, it tells them all they have to do is go and then go,” Andrzejewski jokes.

Test Results

The Energy Champion award garnered by the building.

After the three-month test period, the water-free urinals were evaluated to see if they accomplished their desired goals. Building management also asked for feedback from users as well as the custodial crew.

“Overall, everyone was very impressed with the water-free urinals,” says Andrzejewski. “They were accepted by the men in the building as well as the custodians. In addition, it was apparent from the start that we would probably save quite a bit on water, disposal and maintenance costs. “But it will not be until we switch all 80 of our urinals to water-free that we will fully realize our savings,” Andrzejewski says. SSA’s washroom renovation project is to be completed in about 8 to 12 months.

According to Andrzejewski, the amount of water saved annually in the building will amount to a staggering 2 million gallons per year. A more extensive analysis of water usage found that it was costing the SSA approximately $2 for every 1,000 gallons used in the old water urinals, as well as another $2 for every 1,000 gallons in related sewage costs. By eliminating these two operating costs, the facility will be able to save more than $7,000 per year.

In addition, Andrzejewski says that the facility will recoup another $7,000 per year that it formerly spent on plumbing repair costs. Meanwhile, the initial expense to install the water-free urinal units was about $150 to $200 less per fixture because water-free urinals require less plumbing.

A Closer Look at Clean-Up

Andrzejewski and the Energy Champion award.

Water-free urinals are cleaned much the same way as traditional urinals, except there is no need to add water. “For the most part, apply properly diluted cleaner by misting it onto the surface of the urinal and wiping it away with a soft rag or sponge,” says Fleischer. “But avoid applying the cleaner directly into the cartridge, for this can interfere with its operation and reduce its lifespan.”

Custodians at the SSA support Fleisher’s claim, finding that the use of harsh cleaning chemicals became unnecessary with the water-free urinals. “Clean up is pretty simple,” Andrzejewski says. “There are no mineral deposits to worry about. The smooth, dry surface is very easy to wipe clean, and there are not the germ and bacteria build-ups we experienced with the water urinals to worry about.”

Additionally, the City of Chicago made a site visit in the SSA building to gather data on the water-free urinal installation as part of a study on new ways to cut costs and “go green.”

The success of the water-free urinals at the SSA has received considerable attention. Eager to see how they work and if they can achieve the same savings, other SSA facility managers around the country are contacting Andrzejewski to get usage feedback and data on the cost savings that he is experiencing.

Visit www.falconwaterfree.com for more information on the company’s water-free urinals.