New Waterless Generation

"Waterless fixtures have been around for a dozen years, but it has taken the ‘green' movement to give waterless technology a jump-start," says Jim Allen, LEED-certified water conservation manager for Franklin Park, Ill.-based Sloan Valve Co.

David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Courtesy PPG Glass.

"Some users of early water-free fixtures were disappointed by their performance," he says. "Many of those same users have found success with new products. New technologies have been developed and new players have entered the game. There are, maybe, five players in the waterless game today. In a few years, it is likely there will be another five. As little as five or six years ago, sustainable building advocates were regarded as environmental zealots. Now, products and applications they were talking about have become mainstream items, and the number of ‘green' buildings has grown by leaps and bounds."

Allen says it won't be long before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopts a long-discussed WaterStar program to parallel its successful EnergyStar program. "The concept of conservation has even been embraced by state government officials−Arizona's recent adoption of legislation mandating water-free urinals is an example."

Graywater reuse, an element of the water conservation strategy at Genzyme, "has yet to come into its own, but water reuse represents a huge opportunity," Allen says.