Harbour showplace saves megalitres

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre is the latest landmark building to install water-free urinals to save megalitres of water as part of its conservation and recycling program. The prestigious centre at Darling Harbour has installed 60 of the urinals which work without flushing. Centre management estimates that these new urinals will save more than four megalitres of water a year compared with flushing urinals.

Infrastructure manager Ross Horlyck says, “We have installed 60 of the new urinals. Each of them will save us about 75 kilolitres of water a year compared with flushing urinals. That is a total saving for the centre of about 4.5 megalitres a year.”

The conservation program also includes the installation of touch-sensor taps, water meters, controlled lighting, colour-coded recycle bins for general waste and a refrigerated compactor for food waste.

New toilets are part of an extensive refurbishment which includes four new cafés within the exhibition halls and a waterfront lounge in the conference building.

The management has set up an environment committee to help cope with waste generated by events at the centre and the 800,000 or so people who attend them each year.

Watersave Australia Pty Ltd is supplying the Uridan water-free urinals and Waterguard smart water meters.

A director of Watersave, Paul Marsh, says, “The original urinal troughs at the centre were flushed automatically with sensors and would have dispensed between eight and 15 litres of water per visit. Many of them leaked continuously.”

The innovative replacement urinals work hygienically without flushing. Urine drains through a stainless steel cover and into a water lock, which acts like an “S” bend, then into the sewer pipe. A floating layer of biodegradable vegetable oil in the water lock covers the urine and eliminates odours.

Another landmark buildings which has installed Uridan water-free urinals is the luxurious Aurora Place 44-storey office building at 88 Phillip Street in Sydney, which has installed 117 of them.
Paul Marsh says, “Many high-profile buildings in are being managed with conservation and the environment firmly in mind.

“Building owners and managers have become very aware in recent years of the increasing need to save water and electricity and to recycle waste efficiently. They understand that conservation it is an important cost saving exercise which also improves their public image.”

Other prominent buildings which have installed Uridan water-free urinals include a Green Star-rated office building at 8 Brindabella Circuit beside Canberra International Airport, Parliament House in Canberra and Melbourne Aquatic Centre.

Contact Watersave Australia Pty Ltd, 12/53 Myoora Road, Terrey Hills, NSW, 2084; phone 1300 368 603; fax 02 9986 2711; email info@watersave.com.au .

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High resolution pictures available at www.wbpublicity.com.au/ws/ws7.htm .

Picture captions:

Uridan waterfree urinals from Watersave Australia

Waste trap of Uridan water-free urinal

Media contact: Paul Marsh – phone 1300 368 603, 0403 822 896 or 02 9986 2700; email paulm@watersave.com.au.