Aug. 13, 2008
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Nankai Electric Railway Co., based in Osaka Prefecture of Japan, has replaced conventional urinals at 18 stations with Falcon Waterfree urinals. The waterfree urinals were developed and manufactured by Falcon Waterfree Technologies, with headquarters in Los Angeles and Grand Rapids, MI. This is the first large-scale installation of waterfree urinals in Japan.
To make a contribution to conserving the environment, Nankai promoted installation of the waterfree urinals, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as water consumption. The company estimates that they can reduce CO2 emissions by 12.7 tons and water usage by 22,000 tons annually; the latter is equivalent to the amount of household water used per day by 70,000 people in Japan.
Falcon Waterfree Technologies was established in 2000 and has been growing rapidly since then. It is also known for having Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States and Nobel Laureate, on its advisory board. The Falcon Waterfree urinal consists of a porcelain fixture and a cartridge that contains a unique sealant liquid. Because the liquid is lighter than urine, the urine passes through the liquid and flows out to a drainpipe.
The sealant liquid in the head of the cartridge prevents odor from escaping the drain. As the urinal is water free, the urine is not likely to react with calcium ions in water to create lime scale, which is also a source of unpleasant odor. Another benefit is the significant reduction of operational costs because there is no water/sewage cost and drainage pipes do not need to be cleaned to remove lime scale. Nankai plans to increase the number of stations with the waterfree urinals.
About Falcon Waterfree Technologies
Falcon Waterfree Technologies is the most popular and widely installed brand of waterfree urinal. The company was formed to promote conservation of the Earth’s limited supply of fresh water and support sustainable resource management. Falcon products are in use around the world, in stadiums and arenas, schools and universities, airports and every type of commercial and institutional facility. For more information, visit www.falconwaterfree.com.
