Mark Friday, February 22, 2008

Environment

City of Raleigh: Mandate Disablement of Automatic Flush Sensors

Automatic flush toilets are installed in many buildings throughout our city.  These fixtures are typically equipped with two methods of flush control: a laser motion sensor triggered by movement within a certain range, and a secondary manual control, similar to all non-automatic toilets.  There is an option to disable the automatic sensor such that the manual control is the only method of flushing.  When active, these toilets waste an immeasurable amount of water.  Why are they still activated in our city at this time of severe water deficit and restriction?

The RBC Center is equipped with such fixtures. 

I don’t know what grade of fixtures are installed, but the best case scenario would be an ultra-low volume toilet which uses 1.6 gallons per flush.  A typical toilet uses about 3-4 gallons per flush.  The toilet fixtures at the RBC Center use 3.5 gallons per flush.  The average attendance of Carolina Hurricanes games is about 17,000 people.  Let’s assume that each person uses the toilet one time during a three hour contest.  With the active automatic flush sensors, that’s about 50,000 gallons of water per week, assuming the best case scenario.  If these are average volume fixtures,

that comes out to almost 200,000 gallons per week during the NHL season, not to mention any other RBC Center events.

This is only one of many buildings in our city that utilize these laser-sensor toilets.  How much water are we wasting?

It is a very simple procedure to turn off each of these sensors, so that the user has to activate the manual flush mechanism, just like ever other toilet.  The city should implement this into Stage 2 Water Restrictions immediately.

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  • Jason!02/22 09:52 AM

    What they should do, is go totally waterfree on the urinals.  We did this at my place of work and it apparently saves crazy amounts of water.

    http://www.falconwaterfree.com

  • HelenTart02/22 12:08 PM

    Very good points, Mark.

    When the auto flushes were first installed in the performing arts center, it took months to get them to stop continuos flushing. (That was before this current drought.) However, my experience in another situation is that the sensors stop working and you have manually flush anyway.

    BTW: Don’t for get the Water Workshop starting 9:30am tomorrow—details are on this site.

  • RaleighRob02/22 12:49 PM

    Agreed.  They are a ridiculous contraption.  I’ve seen ones at my gym and at Crabtree Mall that’ll flush simply if someone walks by closely!  What a waste.

  • Micah02/24 01:34 AM

    Prefacing that I am a water miser, and that I didn’t do any research:

    I’m pretty certain that 1.6 gallon toilets are considered “low-flow.“ Certainly not ultra-low.  I think it was the early-mid 90’s when all toilets sold must be 1.6 gallons per flush or less.  So, theoretically the arena toilets are at least this efficient.

  • Mark02/27 03:24 PM

    I called the RBC Center, and their toilets use 3.5 gallons per flush.

  • 15002/28 10:32 AM

    Just noticed that they are taking away the automatic flush urinals and replacing them with waterless urinals where I work.  Looks like you are not alone with your good ideas, Mark.

  • Micah02/29 05:35 PM

    I find it very difficult to believe that a stadium designed to “process” thousands of spectators would install fixtures that use 3.5 gallons per flush.  That is double what a low flow toilet uses.  Double the water use (and cost), and double the sewer flow out.

    Also, doesn’t the 1992 Energy Act prohibit the installation of 3.5 toilets in all new and remodeled buildings?  Am I missing something?  Perhaps this bill was just residential?

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