Waterless Urinals: Why Are We Still Flushing Drinking Water Down the Drain?

Water is one of our most valuable resources. Yet every day, commercial buildings use perfectly good drinking water to flush urine down a drain.

Think about that for a moment.

We invest in water-efficient appliances, install rainwater tanks, monitor electricity consumption and encourage people to take shorter showers. Yet in thousands of public bathrooms, we continue using treated drinking water to operate a plumbing fixture that doesn’t actually need it.

There is a better way, and it has been available for decades.

Waterless urinals are a practical, proven alternative to conventional flushing systems. When correctly installed, cleaned and maintained, they can significantly reduce water consumption while providing hygienic, odour-controlled bathroom facilities.

At ZeroFlush, we believe the conversation should be about more than the urinal itself. It should be about how we manage our bathrooms and the resources they consume.

💧 1. Stop Using Drinking Water Where It Isn’t Needed

Every flush of a conventional urinal consumes water. Depending on its design and operation, that might be a relatively small amount per use, but across a busy commercial building, those litres quickly add up.

Consider a conventional urinal that uses 2 litres per flush, with 100 flushes per day.

That represents approximately 73,000 litres of drinking water every year, from just one urinal.

Multiply that across a shopping centre, school, airport, sporting venue or commercial building, and the potential savings become substantial.

A true waterless urinal uses no water to flush the fixture.

The opportunity is particularly significant where older flushing urinals operate on timers, flushing whether or not someone has used them.

And while modern flushing urinals have become considerably more water-efficient, eliminating routine flushing water remains a worthwhile objective.

💰 2. Reduce Water and Wastewater Costs

Water isn’t free, and neither is wastewater disposal.

Commercial property owners and facility managers pay for water supply and, depending on their local charging arrangements, wastewater or sewerage services.

Waterless urinals reduce the volume of water purchased for flushing. They may also reduce wastewater-related charges where those charges are linked to measured consumption.

Over the life of a building, those savings can become substantial.

Of course, waterless urinals still require appropriate cleaning, servicing and replacement of consumable components where fitted.

The sensible approach is to compare the total cost of operating the bathroom, rather than simply comparing the purchase price of two urinals.

The objective is not to purchase the cheapest fixture. It is to operate a reliable bathroom at the lowest reasonable whole-of-life cost.

🚻 3. A Cleaner Bathroom Starts with Managing the Source of Odours

One of the most common misconceptions about waterless urinals is that they must smell because they don’t flush.

That is not how a correctly operating waterless urinal should perform.

Bathroom odours can originate from several sources, including urine residues on surfaces, poor cleaning practices, defective seals, drainage problems and inadequate ventilation.

Waterless urinals use specially designed sealing systems to prevent sewer gases from entering the bathroom.

These systems may use a liquid barrier or a mechanical sealing device, depending on the manufacturer.

However, the sealing system is only one part of maintaining a clean bathroom.

Urine residues on the urinal surface, floors and surrounding areas must still be properly removed.

This is why proper cleaning procedures, suitable products, and regular inspections are essential.

At ZeroFlush, we have always believed that the answer to bathroom odours is to identify and address their sources, rather than simply masking them with fragrances.

A clean bathroom shouldn’t need to smell like a perfume factory to disguise a plumbing problem.

🔧 4. Fewer Flushing Components Means Fewer Things to Go Wrong

Conventional flushing urinals rely on components such as flush valves, solenoids, electronic sensors, cistern mechanisms and associated water supply connections.

These components require maintenance and can fail.

A leaking flush valve or incorrectly adjusted sensor can waste considerable quantities of water without anyone noticing.

Waterless urinals eliminate the need for routine flushing mechanisms.

That removes several potential sources of mechanical failure and water wastage.

But waterless does not mean maintenance-free.

Sealing systems, drainage connections, urine deposits and cleaning practices still need attention.

This is where a properly planned servicing program makes all the difference.

🌱 5. Better Environmental Performance Without Compromising Function

Treating and delivering drinking water requires infrastructure, energy and money.

Using less potable water for urinal flushing reduces demand on those resources.

For businesses working towards sustainability objectives, waterless urinals offer a straightforward way to reduce an identifiable area of consumption.

Importantly, the potential savings can be measured.

A facility manager can compare historical water consumption during flushing with the expected or measured water consumption after conversion.

This makes waterless urinals particularly relevant to hotels, shopping centres, educational facilities, offices, sporting venues and other buildings with high bathroom usage.

Sustainability should involve measurable improvements, not just environmental claims.

🧪 6. Good Drainage Design Is Just as Important as the Urinal

Waterless urinals are not without their challenges.

Because urine enters the drainage system without routine dilution from flushing water, mineral deposits, particularly struvite, can develop under certain conditions.

If neglected, these deposits can contribute to drainage restrictions and blockages.

This is not a reason to abandon waterless technology. It is a reason to understand the plumbing system and maintain it correctly.

The design of discharge pipes, their grades, connections, drainage configuration and access for servicing all matter.

At ZeroFlush, we have spent years focusing on the relationship between the urinal, its sealing system, the drainage pipework and appropriate maintenance procedures.

We believe successful waterless urinal installations require a complete operating system, not simply a waterless fixture attached to a drain.

⚖️ 7. Waterless Urinals Are Still Legal in Australia

There has been considerable confusion in the plumbing industry about changes to Australian plumbing standards and what they mean for waterless urinals.

Let’s clarify one important point.

Waterless urinals have not been banned in Australia.

The 2025 edition of AS/NZS 3500 introduced additional installation requirements intended to address drainage performance and the potential accumulation of struvite.

These include requirements affecting discharge pipe sizes, grades and drainage arrangements.

Such changes can make some new installations or conversions more complicated and expensive.

However, new installation requirements do not automatically mean that every existing waterless urinal must be removed and replaced with a flushing model.

Existing installations need to be assessed against the requirements that apply to them, including their original approval and any subsequent alterations.

Property owners should seek advice from a suitably qualified and experienced licensed plumber before making expensive replacement decisions.

🛠️ 8. The Secret Is Professional Servicing, Not Just Better Equipment

This is perhaps the most important lesson we have learned from working with waterless urinals over many years.

Installing the right equipment is only the beginning.

Successful long-term operation depends on the people responsible for cleaning, inspecting and servicing it.

Cleaning contractors need to understand which products and methods are suitable. Maintenance personnel need to recognise when a sealing device requires attention. And plumbers servicing drainage systems need to understand how waterless systems differ from conventional flushing urinals.

Using unsuitable cleaning chemicals, interfering with sealing systems or neglecting drainage maintenance can create problems that are incorrectly blamed on the urinal itself.

At ZeroFlush, our approach has always been to consider the complete system, supported by our EnviroSeal Operating System and appropriate cleaning and maintenance procedures.

We also believe that appropriately licensed, competent plumbers should undertake specialist plumbing work and servicing of sanitary drainage components.

Having a plumbing licence is important. Understanding the particular system being serviced is equally important.

💡 A Smarter, Cleaner Future for Public Bathrooms

We are now seeing increasing attention given to how commercial buildings manage energy, water, waste and other resources.

That is encouraging.

But perhaps we should be asking a simpler question.

Why are we continuing to consume drinking water for a task that can be performed without it?

Waterless urinals are not the answer to every bathroom design or drainage challenge. There are situations where existing plumbing configurations, installation costs or operational requirements make other solutions more practical.

Nevertheless, where suitable, waterless urinals offer real opportunities to reduce water consumption, simplify flushing equipment, and improve the long-term management of commercial bathrooms.

The future of bathroom management should focus on practical outcomes: hygienic facilities, reliable plumbing, sensible maintenance costs and responsible resource use.

And that begins with making informed decisions about the systems we install and how we look after them.

Choose ZeroFlush for a Better Approach to Urinal Management

At ZeroFlush, we believe waterless urinals deserve to be evaluated on their actual performance, not outdated misconceptions or poor examples of maintenance.

Whether you are considering a new installation, assessing an existing waterless system, or reviewing the ongoing costs of your commercial bathrooms, the starting point should be a thorough assessment of the entire plumbing system.

Save water. Control odours. Maintain the system properly.

That’s what successful waterless urinal management is all about.