Restroom Care: Towers Go Waterless

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The architectural firm of Pelli Clarke Pelli is recognized as a premier innovator of Green buildings. The firm has received more than 100 awards for design excellence including the Gold Medal award from the American Institute of Architects, recognizing the firm for a lifetime of distinguished achievements in architecture.

One of the firm’s most famous projects is the PETRONAS Twin Towers in Malaysia. Opened in August 1999, at 1,483 feet the towers were the tallest buildings in the world for several years.

Because the architects are “green,” a number of environmentally preferable innovations are incorporated into the structures. For instance, the lighting systems installed use 22 percent less energy than conventional lighting systems.

In addition, the facility has taken water conservation seriously. Along with low-flow toilets and faucets, PETRONAS Towers has no-flush urinals throughout. The no-flush systems they selected: Waterless No-Flush™ urinals.

Waterless Co. is America’s oldest manufacturer of waterless urinals, which can save as much as 45,000 gallons of water per year per urinal. They require less maintenance than conventional urinals — and many other no-water systems — and rarely have plumbing problems.

The way they work is simple. Waterless No-Flush urinals have a vertical trap filled with a thin layer of sealant that sits atop the drain area. Urine passes through the trap and sealant, which form a barrier to block odors from escaping. Eventually the urine flows to a conventional drainpipe, just as with a conventional urinal.

“The architects wanted PETRONAS Towers to reflect the environmentally sensitive but forward-thinking attitude that is now sweeping Asia,” says the Waterless Co LLC distributor in Malaysia. “And the Waterless No-Flush urinals fit in perfectly.”