VISTA, CALIF.—Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc. (TROSA), Durham, N.C.—one of the nation’s leading and most respected residential, re-educational centers helping men, women, and young adults with substance abuse problems—will be receiving waterless urinal systems donated by Waterless Co, LLC, for a new facility the organization is building. TROSA, which treats people free of charge, has been recognized as a leader in drug treatment therapies by Duke University and the Public Broadcasting Service and is a finalist in the Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World award. The waterless urinals will be installed in the facility’s future gymnasium/community center,...

FRANKLIN PARK, ILL.—A new pocket-sized, fold-out brochure describes Sloan Valve Company’s line of water-efficient plumbing fixtures and how much water each model saves compared to Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992 water-use regulations. The Eco-Design Guide highlights Sloan’s waterfree urinals, manual and sensor-operated flushometers for high-efficiency urinals and high-efficiency toilets, and pressure-assist flushing technology. Other water- and energy-saving plumbing fixtures include low-flow faucets and showerheads and energy-efficient hand dryers. The guide also provides several helpful charts, such as water-efficiency calculations using EPAct fixture flow requirements as the baseline. Calculation charts show examples of potential savings, based on number of uses, fixture...

NATIONAL REPORT—Most people do not believe there is a serious shortage of potable domestic water in the United States. Because of our massive natural resource of fresh water, to some degree they are correct. While the problem may not be a shortage of water overall, the more serious problem is that much of the water is not in the major metropolitan areas where most of it is consumed. For example, you will never convince hotel operators in Florida, Southern California and Arizona that there is a sufficient supply of water, because they are already experiencing droughts and shortages. When these...

In part one of this article (click here), I addressed how one can conserve water and cut costs in guestroom areas and building exteriors. In part two I will focus on kitchen, laundry, pool and spa, public restroom, and cooling tower opportunities. In the Kitchen The single largest user and waster of water in hotel kitchens is the dishwashing machine. The most serious problem occurs when the fill valve is not functioning properly and the machine is constantly trying to fill itself. The easiest way to inspect for this is to listen for a continuous sound of running water. When possible,...

BRAINTREE, MASS.—Symmons, a manufacturer of commercial and residential plumbing products, has introduced its new Ultra-Sense S-6050 Series Sensor Activated Faucet. Designed for commercial and residential hand-washing applications, the S-6050 is a battery-powered, sensor-activated lavatory faucet equipped with self-adjusting infrared microchip technology. The S-6050 is easy to install and features solid-brass housing and a durable polycarbonate sensor lens to minimize vandalism. The S-6050 is crafted with a high-arc, long-reach profile for recessed mountings and features a 10-second factory-set cycle time and will “time out” by automatically shutting off if the sensor is blocked. The entire electronics and battery package is securely...

RIPON, WISC.—For years, on-premises laundries have relied on the labor and cost saving features of UniMac equipment. With the September 2007 launch of the new UniLinc control for its UW line of washer-extractors, UniMac takes efficiency to a higher level. The user-friendly control and management software bridge the gap between the laundry room and management offices—putting laundry operations data at the fingertips of general managers. “With its advanced reporting and labor-saving traits, UniLinc will have managers looking at their laundries less as cost centers and more as contributors to overall profitability,” says Kim Shady, vice president of distributor sales for...

KEY WEST, FLA.—The Banyan Resort and the Gardens Hotel last week became the Florida Keys’ first certified members of the Green Lodging Program, created by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to recognize and reward environmentally conscious lodging facilities in the state. The two Old Town Key West properties were awarded “one palm” certification for their environmental commitment in ceremonies attended by State Representative Ron Saunders, Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson, Stacey Mitchell, director of sales for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and Laura Comer and Gus Rios of the DEP. “These businesses are stepping up to recognize...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—A comprehensive presentation of the complete offering of Hansgrohe bath faucets, showers and accessories is now available in a new, 106-page, soft-cover brochure from the company. The brochure includes a complement of full-page color photographs showing Hansgrohe products in “lifestyle” settings, while also providing individual “silhouette”-style images of virtually every item in the extensive offering. Photography and illustration are also used to highlight product functionality and operation, as well as how easy it is to install and clean certain items. The new brochure devotes separate, multi-page presentations to showerheads, handshowers, wallbars, showerpipes, showerpanels, and bodysprays, as well as the...

REDWOOD CITY, CALIF.—Sofitel San Francisco Bay was recently recognized for becoming the first to collaborate with the City of Redwood City on its Recycled Water Project. The award ceremony, which was held at the hotel’s poolside last month, also celebrated the first gallons of recycled water that have traveled through the recycling system. “Like other areas in California, our community’s demand for water is exceeding the supply that is available from the region’s sole source of water—the Hetch Hetchy water system,” says Didier de La Ferrière, Sofitel San Francisco general manager. “By participating in this program, Sofitel is helping to...

VISTA, CALIF.—One of the questions facility managers and building service contractors (BSCs) often ask when waterless urinals are installed in their facilities is, “How do you clean them?” Because waterless systems are becoming more and more popular in commercial buildings, Waterless No-Flush urinals, Vista, Calif., has added an online video that covers virtually all the maintenance issues related to cleaning and maintaining these no-flush systems. Although most waterless urinals are cleaned much like conventional urinals, there are differences that BSCs should be aware of. For instance, abrasive cleaners and brushes often used on traditional urinals can scratch and mar a waterless...