Waterless Urinals: Ready For The Water Police?

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According to Tim Barnett, a marine physicist in the climate research division of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, changes in our climate because of global warming are no longer something off in the future. They are here today.

Barnett says that one change that is already affecting the southwestern portion of the United States is water shortages. He says that all climate models suggest shortages of water and decreasing precipitation will likely increase in coming years and likely spread to other areas of the country.

He adds that these water shortages would occur even if the population in the Southwest kept constant at today’s level, which is unlikely to happen. Among his predictions:
• Swimming pools and grass lawns will be memories.
• Rationing of water will become common.
• Prices for water will escalate considerably.
• Wildfires will increase due to abnormally dry episodes.
• There will be an increase in insect infestation.

Some of these things are already happening. For instance, in Las Vegas grass lawns are now outlawed. And there are times when water originally designated for farming in California’s rich Imperial Valley has been diverted to serve thirsty San Diego.

Enforcement

As the shortages spread, Barnett believes many localities will create entirely new bureaucracies, referred to as the “water police,” just to monitor and enforce new regulations regarding water use.

“We are going to see the use of low-water and no-water restroom fixtures become commonplace—if not mandatory—in the near future,” says Klaus Reichardt, managing partner of Waterless Co. LLC, manufacturers of no-flush urinal systems. “And this will not be just in commercial buildings but in homes and apartments as well.”

Reichardt adds that along with no-water urinals, manufacturers are developing toilet systems that depend more on air pressure than water for flushing. “These will be similar to those found on airlines now,” he says.

Options Available

As grim as the predictions sound, Barnett believes that new technologies that reduce water use as well as other measures can help alleviate the problem. “We have a mind-boggling set of options and technologies that could help us deal with global warming,” he says. “But make no mistake, the decision is ours and not the next generation’s. Simply put: Time is up!”