The Taj Mahal and Rose Bowl may not seem to have much in common, but amid the growing worldwide green movement, in fact they do the urinals in their men’s rooms.
The Pasadena college stadium and India’s signature architectural achievement both feature waterless urinals by Los Angeles-based Falcon Waterfree Technologies LLC, the leading maker of the water-saving devices worldwide. Falcon, founded only seven years ago, has been a leading player in the market along with another Los Angeles company, Waterless Co.
The small local manufacturers have seen their sales accelerate recently as a result of customers’ desires to conserve water amid current droughts and forecasts of a worldwide fresh-water shortage.
“We haven’t even scratched the surface where this company can grow to,” said James Krug, president and chief executive of Falcon. “There are always early adopters, but it certainly took time to gain some credibility in the marketplace.”
The devices, which cost about $400 each and look similar to standard men’s room urinals, allow urine to drain into a cartridge and through a liquid sealant, which the companies say blocks any unpleasant odors the perception of which has been a leading obstacle to wider sales.
Since the fixtures drain without water, the companies say each one can save upwards of 40,000 gallons of water and $200 per year. That can add up quickly to well over $10,000 in savings for an average school district, which have been among the biggest customers for the devices.
As with any emerging industry, the strength of the market is difficult to judge. The companies and analysts estimate that there are only between 100,000 and 150,000 waterless urinals in use in the world. Since there are tens of millions of urinals across the world, however, the waterless variety have a tremendous opportunity for growth. Sales of the devices have been increasing about 50 percent a year since 2004.
However, the small independent companies that dominate the market, such as Falcon and Waterless, now face new competition as big international companies enter the marketplace. Kohler Co., a global kitchen and bath products maker based in Kohler, Wis., began selling waterless urinals in 2006 as part of an expansion of its water conservation product lines, which also includes low-flow shower heads and faucets.
Shane Judd, commercial product manager for Kohler’s fixtures division, said his company is the first major manufacturer to enter the market and its waterless urinal sales have grown every month since they introduced the product.
“I think future generations are going to look back and say, ‘I can’t believe we were using potable water for flushing urinals,'” he said.
Overcoming skepticism
The devices are most popular in large venues and school districts, but with millions of flushable urinals around the world in all varieties of public places, the companies are hoping to expand their penetration.
Indeed, in the past few years, the market for waterless urinals has begun to pick up. Krug said since Falcon was founded in 2000 the company has doubled its sales each year, selling 40,000 units worldwide in 2006. The company now has over 100,000 urinals in use across the world, in locales as diverse as the Rose Bowl and Taj Majal.
The management team at the Rose Bowl decided to replace about 250 of their urinals after Pasadena Water & Power offered the stadium rebates for the cost of the devices. The whole project cost about $75,000.
Jess Waiters, assistant general manager and chief operating officer for the Rose Bowl, said the urinals have saved the stadium money on its water bills since they were installed in 2004. And though he and others were skeptical about them at first, the urinals have proven successful.
“When we first got them, they were kind of oddities but now people are seeing them around town,” said Waiters, who gave the units high marks for their appearance. “If you can say a urinal is attractive, it’s as attractive as a urinal can be.”
He said the stadium plans to install additional waterless urinals in some of its parking lot restrooms.
In the past seven years, Falcon has expanded from three employees to more than fifty, with offices in the Philippines, Beijing, Barcelona, Sao Paulo and Frankfurt. Its board of advisors includes former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and former Vice President Al Gore.
Waterless, founded in 1989, stakes its claim as the first manufacturer of the devices. It struggled for years to gain acceptance in the urinal marketplace.
Klaus Reichardt, the company’s founder and managing partner, said the product has gained legitimacy lately as a renewed focus on environmental issues has put water consciousness on the collective radar. Coca Cola Co. announced a plan this month to reduce the amount of water the company uses in all facets of its operations, a move the company hopes can conserve 75 billion gallons of water annually.
Like Falcon, Waterless boasts some impressive venues for its devices, including the Statue of Liberty and McMurdo Station in Antarctica. But also like Falcon, Waterless does not share its revenues, so it can be difficult to assess the true strength of the companies or the market.
Reichardt said his company, which has 10 employees, has grown by about 50 percent annually in the past five years though it has not yet broken the $10 million annual sales mark. It may be helped, though, by the recent dry spell here in Los Angeles, including record low rainfall last year.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this month urged local residents to cut their water use by 10 percent, given predictions the city may face a prolonged dry spell. That could spur installation of more of the waterless urinals.
“Los Angeles needs to change course and conserve water to steer clear of this perfect storm,” Villaraigosa said at a June 6 press conference.
