Gold medals and green restrooms at the Olympics

While athletes aimed for gold, the Beijing Olympics aimed for green with waterfree urinals. The urinals from Los Angeles-based Falcon Waterfree Technologies have been installed at several Olympic venues.

Falcon Waterfree urinals were installed and used by the general public, staff and athletes at the National Stadium, the National Swimming Center, the Olympic Torch Relay Route, the Olympic Triathlon Track, the Olympic Security Control Center, the Olympic Water Sports Fields and Stadiums, and the BMX Contest Field.

The green-technology urinals use a patented cartridge to provide waterfree, odor-free and trouble-free operation. Because they are not attached to a water supply, they do not become a source of plumbing emergencies. Restrooms are also cleaner as a result because these systems have five times fewer bacteria than water-flushed urinals and no flush plumes, which normally spread bacteria-laden moisture around restrooms.

Water conservation at the Beijing Olympics has been a key requirement — not only to showcase modern and sustainable technology, but to also help the city of 18 million people accommodate the additional needs of Olympic visitors and athletes.

Based on average water savings of 40,000 gallons per urinal, per year, the 165 waterfree urinals will save 6.6 million gallons per year — enough to fill more than 1,400 tank trucks.