The Web address for New Children’s Museum in San Diego, says it all: www.thinkplaycreate.org.
The goal of this modern and unique museum is to stimulate imagination, creativity, and critical thinking in children through interactive exhibitions and hands-on workshops.
The building was designed by Rob Wellington Quigley, a well-known and highly respected architect in San Diego. According to Reggie Cabanilla “He envisioned a building built with green standards in mind [and with] water conservation a top priority as it pertains to sustainable design.”
To help save on water, a chronic consideration in Southern California, the museum installed high-efficiency toilets that flush an average of 1.1 to 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) versus the old conventional 3 to 5 gpf toilets. It also installed no-water urinals in all the men’s restrooms.
“No-water urinals save time and money, conserve tremendous amounts of freshwater because they use absolutely no water at all. [They also] create more hygienic, odor-free restrooms,” according to Cabanilla.
While there are a number of restroom fixture manufacturers now making no-water urinals, the museum selected those made by the first no-water urinal manufacturer in the United States, Waterless Co.
“We chose Waterless Co. because [their products] have a very good track record,” he says. “[Plus we found that] the technology is very advanced and their products are of the highest quality that I have seen out on the market today.”
Since their installation, the waterless urinals have definitely been put to the test. On the busiest weekends, more than 1,000 people visit the museum, and according to its maintenance staff, “the waterless urinals take on a ton of abuse.”
And because Waterless Co. urinals use the unique EcoTrap system, urine odors and sewer gases are totally blocked. “Even with tons of use, [these urinals] smell fresh after every use,” adds the maintenance crew.
During the interview with Cabanilla, he was informed he did not have to mention the museum by name; however, Cabanilla is so proud of the building and the waterless urinals, he was happy to do so. He ended the interview by saying, “I would recommend waterless urinals to other property managers who manage buildings similar to mine.”