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Calif. agency gives waterless urinals the flush
AP on SFGate.com ^ | 2/23/10 | KXTV-TV

Posted on 02/23/2010 10:23:05 AM PST by NormsRevenge

Sacramento, Calif. (AP) -- A state agency in charge of environmental regulation has flushed its six-year experiment with waterless urinals.

According to California Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman Lindsay VanLaningham, the agency has removed all 56 waterless urinals at its 25-story headquarters in downtown Sacramento.

...

But VanLaningham says CalEPA has received hundreds of complaints over the years about foul odors and wet floors. Maintenance costs also grew high.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: calepa; california; flush; urinals; waterless
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To: wolfcreek
Yep, I remember when they had those long troughs in the bar bathroom. The smell was unmistakable.

Ha! Back in the day, the Indy 500 infield heads had troughs. Got a picture one year of a line of guys around the outside of the building peeing on it. A Sheriff's Deputy came by to hassle them over it until one guy pointed to the door and bid him go in and see. He came out and left. There must have been at least 6 inches of.... whatever floating in there.

21 posted on 02/23/2010 11:21:32 AM PST by AFreeBird
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To: ansel12
What would the urinal have to do with wet floors?

My guess is that the floors are wet because users are peeing on it.

Evidence of very poor aim.

22 posted on 02/23/2010 11:35:36 AM PST by Ole Okie
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To: Sherman Logan

I wonder why they use copper instead of cast iron, I have pulled copper drains out of old buildings but I did not know that it was required anywhere.

I tried to call some commercial plumbers in Chicago but couldn’t find the names of any, the service guy that I spoke to is in the suburbs and doesn’t keep up with that kind of thing.


23 posted on 02/23/2010 11:44:48 AM PST by ansel12 ( (anti SoCon. Earl Warren's court 1953-1969, libertarian hero, anti social conservative loser.))
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To: AFreeBird; wolfcreek
Yep, I remember when they had those long troughs in the bar bathroom. The smell was unmistakable.

Many years ago in some old part of Mexico, I was in a bar where the entire length of the bar had an open, tiled urinal as it's base.

You of course stood at the bar, they did not have stools.

24 posted on 02/23/2010 11:47:56 AM PST by ansel12 ( (anti SoCon. Earl Warren's court 1953-1969, libertarian hero, anti social conservative loser.))
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To: Buckeye McFrog
I’ve noticed that buildings where they have installed these have slowly acquired an outhouse smell that just does not go away

The janitor is supposed to do a quick spray and wipe off the porcelain every night. Even regular urinals don't wash off the entire surface, some that are adjusted too low barely wash the surface at all.

The other thing is, if they do not replace the barrier cartridge on schedule, then of course it loses it's effectiveness.

25 posted on 02/23/2010 11:53:01 AM PST by ansel12 ( (anti SoCon. Earl Warren's court 1953-1969, libertarian hero, anti social conservative loser.))
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To: utherdoul
They reek and drip

They are plumbed in urinals with no water going to them, what drips?

26 posted on 02/23/2010 11:54:40 AM PST by ansel12 ( (anti SoCon. Earl Warren's court 1953-1969, libertarian hero, anti social conservative loser.))
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To: NormsRevenge

one can only imagine 6 yrs to find the experiment with urine stench a failure...prolly hafta nuke the building and start over to get the odor out...


27 posted on 02/23/2010 12:00:42 PM PST by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: AFreeBird; wolfcreek

both or yer posts beg for the vid of ‘urinal surfing’...


28 posted on 02/23/2010 12:07:30 PM PST by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: NormsRevenge

I curse every time my ‘Ralph Nader’ toilet at home clogs up due to insufficent flushing power. Every thing liberals touch turns to dreck.


29 posted on 02/23/2010 12:24:46 PM PST by olepap (God help us)
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To: ansel12

Just repeating what I read in an article posted on FR last week. You could probably find it in Search.


30 posted on 02/23/2010 12:27:24 PM PST by Sherman Logan (Never confuse schooling with education.)
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To: NormsRevenge
The building was touted by the state as the greenest high-rise in the nation when it opened in 2001.

Gee, when I was a kid everyone had waterless toilets, of course we didn't keep them in the house. Times change I guess :)

31 posted on 02/23/2010 12:39:52 PM PST by itsahoot (Each generation takes to excess, what the previous generation accepted in moderation.)
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To: NormsRevenge
But VanLaningham says CalEPA has received hundreds of complaints over the years about foul odors and wet floors.

Okay, so how is it the toilet vendors’ fault that CalEPA’s guys can’t hit the bowl?

32 posted on 02/23/2010 12:52:11 PM PST by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: Sherman Logan

I saw the article mentioning the copper, I still wonder about it all, like where the copper starts and ends, that is why I was hoping to get some information from a local contractor.

Around the nation are many “waterless” toilets where the owner simply turned off the leaking supply valve rather than have it repaired, the difference would be that they have no sealed barrier between them and the sewer system.


33 posted on 02/23/2010 12:52:21 PM PST by ansel12 ( (anti SoCon. Earl Warren's court 1953-1969, libertarian hero, anti social conservative loser.))
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To: ansel12
You of course stood at the bar, they did not have stools.

Well of course. You don't want stools laying all over the floor...... sheesh.

34 posted on 02/23/2010 2:12:06 PM PST by AFreeBird
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To: AFreeBird

Plus, most men would have to get off the stool to urinate from the standing position rather than merely unzip with one hand without having to move.

In France I saw urinals in corners in bars, just outside the door of the bathroom but still open to the public’s view


35 posted on 02/23/2010 2:21:53 PM PST by ansel12 ( (anti SoCon. Earl Warren's court 1953-1969, libertarian hero, anti social conservative loser.))
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To: ansel12

LOL... sorry, you missed the pun.


36 posted on 02/23/2010 3:17:11 PM PST by AFreeBird
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To: Hazwaste
Waterless Urinal? Here in Texas we call that a tree.

That's indecent exposure here in Kali.


37 posted on 02/23/2010 6:14:14 PM PST by Clovis_Skeptic (The answer to 1984 is 1776!)
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To: 1776 Reborn
Wasn’t Al Gore behind these waterless urinals too?

If he was...he is indeed "all wet"!

38 posted on 02/23/2010 6:15:21 PM PST by Clovis_Skeptic (The answer to 1984 is 1776!)
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To: Baynative
gota love this one...I went to school in the 40'50s. No such thing as air conditioning. Windows open and you sweat like a pig...business and gov't didn't close down because it was hot in the summer time....

We truly have become a society of sissy's...

39 posted on 02/23/2010 8:18:11 PM PST by goat granny
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To: Clovis_Skeptic; Hazwaste

LOL too funny.....In texas we call them trees....


40 posted on 02/23/2010 8:22:32 PM PST by goat granny
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