Brand Autopsy: Make Water without Water

Growing up, one of the earliest marketing taglines I can recall was for a septic tank cleaning company in Warwick, Rhode Island. The bold statement on the back of their service trucks read...

A good flush beats a full house!

(That's my marketing blog to toilet topic segue).

Since I was a little kid I've been convinced that our elaborate and complicated system of pipes pressurized with water to move waste was a primitive process. Upon each visit to Walt Disney World in Florida I kept looking for the unveiling of the 'throne of the future' at a Bathroom of Tomorrow exhibit... no luck yet.

However, we're getting closer with the flush-free | water-free urinal. (And I've had the opportunity to try it out.)

At the Starbucks HQ offices in Seattle, to conserve water and energy, they've replaced the urinals in one of the men's restrooms with a flushless version - the F-2000 Model Falcon Waterfree Technology urinal.

This urinal does not use water. There is a patented capsule (see fig. 1) that sits in the drain...

[fig. 1]

...a sealant liquid in the capsule allows urine to go down the drain (see fig. 2) without letting odors come up the drain.

[fig. 2]

Or as they explain it...

The cartridge is shaped to act as a funnel. The combination of non-stick, non-porous materials of construction and the funnel-shape of the cartridge ensure all urine passes into the cartridge and through a unique sealant liquid that floats on top of the liquid beneath it.

This pleasant smelling sealant liquid provides an airtight barrier between urine and the restroom to prevent odors from escaping the drain, but allows urine to pass through because it is lighter than water. Urine immediately penetrates the sealant liquid and flows to the drain. Uric sediment is collected by the cartridge, leaving an odor-free environment, clean pipes and absolutely no water waste.

The cartridge also features a sealing ring to provide an airtight barrier between the cartridge and the housing. The only maintenance required is routine cleaning of the fixture and an easy change of the cartridge, performed approximately every 7,000 uses or typically two to four times per year.

Want to see how it works? Open their page, and press PLAY at the bottom of the screen for an animated demo. (Shockwave Required)

It will be interesting to see if this technology catches on. Often times with new products, there is resistance to change.

Now if we could only solve for the lack of hand washing. And you know who you are out there.

Posted by Paul (from Idea Sandbox) at 01:04 PM | Permalink

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» Shhh, Don't Tell The Santa Fe City Council from Mario Burgos
Imagine the new regulations the Sante Fe City Council would pass if they found out about this. Yup, I bet one or two folks would be kicking themselves for flushing all of that money down the drain on low-flow toilets. [Read More]

» Waterfree Urinals from Zmetro.com
Starbucks installed these waterfree urinals in their Seattle Headquarters in an effort to conserve water & energy, according to Brand Autopsy.... [Read More]

Comments

Is there a home use version of the water free urinal available for purchase? I would like it to be in the form of a normal toilet so my wife may also use it. In my current home we have a dual flush Caroma toilet. We are planning to build a new home and have room for two commodes in the bathroom.