PRO1 H i gh -Effi ci en cy Flushing Urinals Water Sense Approximately 80 percent of the estimated 12 million urinals in the United States are old and inefficient. While the current federal stan- dard for commercial urinals is 1.0 gallon per flush (gpf), some older urinals use as much as five times that amount! WaterSense®, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will soon be able to help facility managers and specifiers take a stand for water efficiency with urinals that use only half a gallon per flush. The WaterSense Label EPA's draft water-efficient flushing urinals specifica- tion is the WaterSense pro- gram's first foray into com- mercial products.To date, WaterSense has released specifications for high-effi- ciency toilets and bathroom sink faucets. The WaterSense label, pictured above, identifies products that have been independently tested and certified to meet EPA's criteria for both water effi- ciency and performance. Once EPA receives public comments and finalizes this draft specification, flushing urinals will be eligible to earn the WaterSense label. Savings With Every Flush Once available, WaterSense labeled urinals will help reduce water use in commercial and institutional restrooms while helping to preserve the nation's water resources. WaterSense plans to set criteria for high-efficiency flushing urinals that use no more than 0.5 gpf and comply with existing standards for flushing urinals.1 To ensure adequate per- formance, urinals must also be tested for trap seal restoration and flush effectiveness before they can earn the WaterSense label. Replacing just one older, inefficient urinal that uses 1.5 gpf with a WaterSense labeled model could save a facility approximately 4,600 gallons of water per year. Nationwide, if all older, inefficient urinals were replaced, we could save nearly 45 billion gallons annually. That's enough water to supply more than 450,000 households for a year! Look for the Label in 2009 Whether looking to reduce water use in a new facili- ty or to replace old, inefficient fixtures in men's rest- rooms, builders, designers, managers, and other specifiers will soon be able to look for the WaterSense label to identify high-performing, water-efficient urinals. 1 ASME A112,19.2, IAPMO,ASSE 1037 (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) • www.epa.gov/watersense • watersense@epa.gov <8>EF¥^ January 2009 Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper. ------- |