Severe Droughts Make Water-saving Restroom Technology Essential

Fresh water is the world’s most important natural resource. Every living thing needs it, and nothing else can take its place.

Yet, in many areas of the world, fresh water is becoming increasingly hard to obtain. Climate change is contributing to unprecedented droughts and water shortages all over the world.

It’s clear that conserving water must be a priority for everyone. Commercial architects, designers, and engineers are no exception—not to mention property owners and managers. In new construction or renovation, many of the decisions you make can significantly impact your building’s carbon footprint and water consumption.

One of those decisions is the type of restroom technology you install. Your partner should value water savings as much as you do.

The Worst Drought Conditions in Generations

The world has always faced droughts. Yet we’ve never seen them this widespread, or this severe.

• Worldwide, more than 2.3 billion people face water stress and almost 160 million children are exposed to severe and prolonged droughts.
• Several European countries are experiencing their worst droughts in nearly a century, causing several major rivers to run dry.
• As of mid-October, more than 59% of the U.S. was in drought, impacting nearly 134 million people. Not a single state was unaffected by drought.

U.S. Drought Monitor, Oct. 20, 2022

These droughts are not sudden, freak occurrences—they’re a continuation of trends over the last few years. Drought conditions are likely to persist well into the future. That’s why it’s so critical to implement water-saving technology whenever possible.

The Impact of Water-efficient Restroom Products

There’s no such thing as a waterless commercial restroom. (Although we do make remarkable waterfree urinals.) But every restroom can be made more water-efficient through specification of products that use less fresh water—either by using less water overall or reclaimed water when possible.

At Sloan, we’ve been helping commercial facilities save water since we invented the modern flushometer in 1906. Here are some products facilities can specify to make a significant impact on water consumption:

• Reclaimed water flushometers built to withstand the conditions of non-potable water, helping facilities save thousands of gallons of fresh water each year.
• Dual-flush water closet flushometers that determine when less flushing water is needed based on how long the user remained in range—i.e., whether the bowl contains solid or liquid waste.
• Water-efficient water closets designed to effectively remove waste using as little as 1.1 gallons per flush.
• Hybrid urinals that use just 100 gallons of water per year.
• Guided handwashing faucets that lead users through the most hygienic handwashing process and automatically turn off water flow until it’s needed.

You may not be able to specify all these products for any given restroom project, but each one by itself can make a real difference in reducing water usage.

Sustainability Beyond Water Savings

In addition to saving water, Sloan products can help facilities qualify for LEED standards and help your organization attain a reputation for environmental stewardship. We offer:

• Transparency reports—Our Environmental Product Declarations and Health Product Declarations reveal exactly what goes into our products and how those materials impact the environment and human health.
• Carbon neutral offsets—Reforestation credits that offset the carbon footprint of every product we manufacture.
• A sustainability calculator that lets you calculate the water savings and sustainability score for every Sloan product you specify.

In a world where reducing water usage is becoming a vital priority—and where more and more people value environmental sustainability—Sloan technology is essential for every commercial restroom project.

Want to explore all the possibilities for water savings in your next commercial restroom design? Talk to the experts at Sloan!