Vacuum toilets best suited for water-starved regions

Saturday, Dec 04, 2010

Gulf News

The system of flushing saves millions of litres, expert says

Abu Dhabi Vacuum toilets which save millions of litres of water in a large number of buildings across the world have not been popular in buildings in the Middle East due to psychological barriers, an industry professional told Gulf News.

The vacuum toilet reduces water foot print by 80 per cent, compared to conventional toilets, and it has been widely used in the marine industry in the Middle East for decades but not in many buildings, said Stuart McHardy, a director of Evac Building Sector, a Finnish company manufacturing vacuum toilets.

McHardy who was a speaker at a seminar in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening on “smart green building”, organised by a group of leading Finnish companies, spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of the event.

Vacuum toilets use a vacuum for flushing, rather than gravity alone. There are a number of different types of vacuum toilets, ranging from toilets connected to vacuum sewer systems to toilets with a vacuum assist, which creates pressure to help flush the contents of a toilet with minimal water usage. Anyone who has flown on a plane is probably familiar with the vacuum toilet, they are also found on boats and in homes.

McHardy said vacuum toilets have been used in the marine industry in the region-in ships, offshore rigs etc, because a large quantity of water could not be stored offshore. A vacuum toilet uses just 1.2 litres of water per flush whereas conventional toilets use 5 to 6 litre per flush. Some people are sceptical about the proper functioning of the system; it is a psychological barrier, the executive said.

Apart from saving up to 80 per cent of the water, the vacuum toilets offer flexibility in installation. Since the system is worked by vacuum, the drainage pipes can be fitted even upwards. So there would be no need to break the ground to install a toilet, McHardy said. “Being not familiar with such a system [drainage pipes going upwards], some people are sceptical,” he said. Although its initial costs are 20 per cent higher than conventional ones, apart from water saving, it reduces the costs on infrastructure for water storage, drainage system, treatment or recycling, McHardy said.

While making a presentation on the topic ‘Why flush water down the drain?’ he said successful projects worldwide, including the Great Eastern Hotel and Heathrow Airport in London, and other buildings and communities in China, Australia and Brazil.

BINSAL ABDUL KADER/Gulf News

Supplied picture

Exploring new ways

The vacuum toilet reduces water foot print by 80 per cent, compared to conventional toilets, and it has been widely used in the marine industry in the Middle East for decades.

Seminar discusses green building solutions

Green building technologies and the main objectives of Abu Dhabi’s Estidama programme and its pearl rating system were presented in the seminar on ‘smart green building’.

Estidama, which means ‘sustainability’ in Arabic, is an ongoing Abu Dhabi initiative consisting of guidelines and regulations that will considerably enhance sustainable standards for communities and buildings.

The companies, which are in the forefront of promoting advanced smart green building technologies, presented their solutions at the event which was hosted by the Finnish companies in cooperation with the Emirates Green Building Council on Tuesday evening in Abu Dhabi. Matti Lassila, Finland’s Ambassador to UAE, who inaugurated the event said that both Finland and the UAE experience extreme climatic conditions and the challenge is to manage the responses to the demands of those harsh conditions in a sustainable way.

Water foot print

The water foot print is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. The water foot print of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of fresh water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business.

Do you know this much fresh water needed to produce these?

(figures are global average as they vary in different geographical conditions)

-One kilogramme of beef — 16,000 litres of water (16 thousand)

-One cup of coffee — 140 litres of water.

Source: http://www.waterfootprint.org

Estidama emphasises water conservation

In April 2010 the Estidama programme of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council released the first version of its rating system, The Pearls Rating. It has put clear emphasis on water conservation. Pearls far exceeds the requirements on water compared to the US LEED system or the British BREEAM rating. This emphasis is understandable given that the UAE ranks third in the world in terms of the volume of sea water desalinated daily, at 4.7million cubic meters every day.

Water footprint

The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business.

Do you know this much fresh water needed to produce these?

(figures are global average as they vary in different geographical conditions)

-One kilogram of beef- 16,000 litres of water (16 thousand)

-One cup of coffee -140 litres of water.

Source:- http://www.waterfootprint.org

Estidama emphases water conservation

In April 2010 the Estidama programme of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council released the first version of its rating system , The Pearls Rating. . It has put clear emphasis on water conservation. Pearls far exceeds the requirements on water compared to the US LEED system or the British BREEAM rating. This emphasis is understandable given that the UAE ranks third in the world in terms of the volume of sea water desalinated daily, at 4.7million cubic meters every day.

(end)

Numbers

1.2 litres

water used by a vacuum toilet per flush

5-6 litres

Water used by conventional toilets per flush.

Technology

Being not familiar with such a system [drainage pipes going upwards], some people are sceptical.”

Stuart McHardy (above)

Director of Evac Building Sector

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