union idiocy
2006-03-31 00:53:00.889461+00 by
Dan Lyke
2 comments
Philadelphia plumber's union upset over waterless urinals:
In a city where organized labor is a force to be reckoned with,
the plumbers union has been raising a stink about a developer's
plans to install 116 waterless, no-flush urinals in what will
be Philadelphia's biggest skyscraper.
Developer Liberty Property Trust says the urinals would save
1.6 million gallons of water a year at the 57-story Comcast
Center, expected to open next year.
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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2006-03-31 16:16:28.056129+00 by:
petronius
A similar situation has arisen in Chicago, where our mayor wishes to install these gadgets in City hall. This version has a viscous liquid that drips into the drain and seals off the drain from the outside world, until the next micturation washes it away and the process flows on anew.
The unions claim the thing doesn't really work, and that unpleasent smells fight their way through the seal. Maybe the Philly unions are just more honest, but the proof is in the smelling. If they work after an asparagus lunch then maybe we should look closer at the devices.
#Comment Re: made: 2006-03-31 17:42:23.490547+00 by:
Dan Lyke
The article says:
Waterless urinals were introduced in the early 1990s. Thousands are in use
around the country, including such places as the San Diego Zoo, Walt Disney
World and the Rose Bowl.
If Disney World is using 'em successfully, I'm guessing that the odor problems have been addressed. This UK Environmental Agency Water Resources page glosses over odor a bit, but indicates that water flow isn't usually the problem.