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• General Clarifications Concerning ULF Toilets & Urinals
• Commonly Held ULF Myths
• The Three Types of ULF Technology
  

Canadian Water & Wastewater Association (CWWA)
- Briefing Book

• Water Efficient Toilets and Urinals
  
  
  

Dave Berge (B.I.D.)
President

As all of you representing the plumbing trades in the Province of Ontario and the City of Vancouver already know, these government bodies have forced the use of various categories of ULF (ie. Ultra Low Flush) Plumbing Fixtures & Fittings for all new installations.

Most of you are also aware that many cities all across Canada, have already, or are seriously considering, the implementation of ‘voluntary’ programs to replace the existing installations of plumbing fixtures & fittings with their ULF equivalents to lower their average water consumption.

You have probably been thinking, "This is Canada ! Don’t they know that we have lots of water ! They must be crazy spending all of this money and causing all of this aggravation by forcing us to use toilets that won’t flush, and shower heads that won’t rinse the shampoo from our heads ! ! !"

HOWEVER, ‘they’ aren’t as crazy as they might seem, and I have been asked by HPAC to write a series of articles this year to try and make sense of the complexity of  ‘realities’ and ‘myths’ that surround the ULF phenomenon.

I will only be briefly mentioning ULF Plumbing ‘Fittings’ since my real expertise lies in the Product Design, Flush Performance Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, and Codes & Standards Development for ULF Plumbing ‘Fixtures’. The general topics being discussed will include :

• Reasons to Conserve Water
• Reasons to use ULF Plumbing Fixtures
• Definitions of ULF-related Terminology
• Categories of ULF Installations
• ULF Flush Performance Issues
• ULF Drain-line Carry Issues
• ULF Certification Issues
• ULF Regulatory Issues
• Trilateral Harmonization of ULF Toilet & Urinal Standards
• ULF Toilet & Urinal Technologies
• Retrofit Devices for Existing Toilet & Urinal Installations
• Field Flush Performance vs. Laboratory Flush Performance
• ULF Toilet and Urinal Installation Issues
• ULF Toilet Adjustability Issues
• ULF Toilet Maintenance Issues
• ULF Toilet Replacement Part Issues
• Potential Future Directions for Increased Water Conservation
  

Background

The global consciousness has become aware that our planets' natural resources will not last forever. Since fresh-water is one of the vital elements for human existance, it is already our most valuable resource. Everyone will soon become acutely aware of the significance of this fact, as the world‘s population increases, and the world’s fresh-water doesn’t.

The economic laws of supply and demand will then take over, dramatically raising the price of water. Before long, political tensions will start mounting between the few water-rich, and the many water-poor nations.

Therefore, even though Canada has the largest natural fresh water supply in the world, there are several very good reasons to reduce our average water consumption :

1. Minimize the impact of water withdrawals on the environment

2. Reduce the costs of providing, processing, and pumping water from its' source [ie. this is very important in regions that : rely on wells to supply their freshwater (ie. Kitchener/Waterloo); need to transport water to their households and businesses (ie. Yellowknife) ; etc.]

3. Reduce the costs of the treatment, and pumping of ‘wastewater’

4. Postpone the need to increase the Infrastructure for Water & Wastewater Treatment to meet growing water demands (ie. For one specific Canadian City, a Toilet Replacement Water Conservation Program would delay a $90 million Water/Sewage Treatment Upgrade for a projected 25 years)

5. Reduce the electricity and chemical consumption, and their associated environmental effects

6. Stretch our fixed water resources to make more water available to supply the 'water-poor' nations

Toilets play a pivotal role in helping cities in their water conservation efforts, since they use approximately 30% to 40% of the potable water (ie. 'treated' water for human consumption). A regular toilet that would be found in an average residential installation throughout Canada has an average water consumption of 16 to 20 litres of water per flush (lpf), as opposed to the ULF Toilet that has an average water consumption of only 6 litres (1.6 U.S. gal.). Therefore, by replacing the existing toilets, cities can reduce their average water consumption of between 18% and 28% of their total residential water usage.

Market Acceptance

In North America (ie. Canada, U.S.A., and Mexico), there are literally 'tens of millions' of ULF Toilets installed. The vast majority of these are in Residential Installations, although there have been millions of Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ie. IC&I) Installations as well.

There have been several well-documented studies conducted which have shown the Residential ULF Plumbing Fixtures to be very effective in reducing the overall average water consumption. Most of these studies have reported that the 'field test users' of these Residential ULF Toilets have had a high level of satisfaction with their flush performance.

However, there has also been varying amounts of resistance, especially in the initial implementation phases, from the marketplaces which have been legislated into using ULF Plumbing Fixtures. This resistance has been mainly focused against the ULF Toilets, with the majority of the complaints being about the flushing performance not being sufficient for the specific 'category of installation' (ie. Residential, Transient, Commercial, High-Use Commercial, or Institutional).

Even though, in the past 2 to 3 years, there have been several significant technological advancements in the 'flush performance engineering' for ULF Toilets and Urinals, there continues to be a lot of resistance. It has become so strong against ULF Toilets in the United States, that the Michigan Representative, Joe Knollenberg, has introduced bill HR 859 to Congress to repeal the existing ULF Legislation.

It is true that there is a percentage of ULF Toilets which do not function sufficiently for their 'category of installation'. However, there is a larger percentage of ULF Toilets which do function sufficiently, and even surpass the requirements for their 'category of installation'.

The problem is, that the existing Plumbing Fixture Standards aren't able to definitively distinguish which are sufficient, and which aren't. It is not just simply a problem with the engineering design of the ULF Toilets either. There are many potential 'issues' that can negatively affect the actual or perceived flushing performance capabilities.

Closing Commentary

Since ULF Plumbing Fixtures will be a large part of all municipal Water and Wastewater "Water Use Efficiency Programs", it is critical that a new 'classification' program be developed to certify ULF Toilets to ensure their proper functioning in their intended 'category of installation' (ie. Residential, Transient, Commercial, High-Use Commercial, or Institutional).

For more information, contact:
Dave Berge (B.I.D.)
President
5D Infusion Canada Inc. (Montreal)
Tel: (450) 346 6339

Dave Berge is currently the:
- Chairman of the CSA B45 Technical Committee on Plumbing Fixtures
- Chairman of the Canadian Contingent for the Trilateral Harmonization of Plumbing Standards

One of the surprising benefits of being in the centre of the "Black Triangle" during the Quebec Ice Storm without electricity for 3 weeks, has been the insight and appreciation for water efficiency and conservation. We are still on a ‘well & septic tank system’, and therefore needed to carry buckets of water upstairs from the ‘sump’ in the back corner of the basement, in order to flush our ULF toilet !

I would actually recommend this exercise to anyone with a conventional toilet who thinks that there is no need to conserve water. It provides a very graphic demonstration of : the actual average water consumption that is used for each flush; the number of flushes per day per household ; and the energy required to move this volume of water from its source to your toilet.

However, even if all of our Plumbing Professionals completed this exercise and were convinced of the need for water efficiency, it still wouldn’t turn them into evangelists recommending ULF Toilets and Urinals for all installations. The reason that would prevent them from becoming converts, is the lack of belief that this new technology can meet the demands of the wide range of field installations.

Of the two most revered myths, is the belief that ULF Pumbing Fixtures can’t possibly meet or exceed the ‘flushing performance’ of their conventional counterparts. This is the most difficult mental hurdle to overcome, since it is a very technical issue which has been further complicated by sub-par products that have already been experienced by the marketplace. The other popular myth concerns the perceived inability for ULF Plumbing Fixtures to provide enough water to the plumbing system to prevent ‘drain-line carry’ problems leading to blockages.

I will first tackle the technical perspective, since I have created and successfully implemented original hydraulic trapway designs in over 20 ULF Toilets and Urinals using all three ULF technologies (ie. gravity, vacuum-assist, and pressurized).

Up until the last 10 to 15 years, if a toilet or urinal didn’t flush correctly, the manufacturer just installed a bigger tank or adjusted the flushometer-valve to use more water ! Since there was no perceived necessity to conserve water, there was only a very basic understanding of the technical aspects of the ‘flush’.

Even when the first ‘watersaver’ (ie. with an average water consumption of under 13.25 litres or 3.5 U.S. gallons) toilets were demanded by the marketplace, the understanding of the ‘flush’ wasn’t increased very much. Manufacturers were able to simply certify most of their existing toilets to the new ‘watersaver’ category without many, if any, modifications. The toilets that couldn’t meet the new category were either eliminated or just left in their line for their other market segments.

However, when the regulatory authorities forced the ‘low-consumption’ (ie. ULF, with an average water consumption of 6 litre or 1.6 U.S. gallon Toilets, and 3.8 litre or 1.0 U.S. gallon Urinals), the manufacturers were forced into investigating and attempting to understand every minute detail of the ‘flush’. Dramatic leaps in the technological knowledge were made in a very short time, which allowed the manufacturers to introduce the first generation of ULF Plumbing Fixtures. Unfortunately, many of the ULF Toilets from this first generation did not take into consideration all of the factors that are present in the ‘field installations’ and, as a result, there were many complaints and level of trust ULF Technologies was severely compromised (It is important to note that there are very few perceived or reported ‘flushing performance’ problems with ULF Urinals).

In the past 5 years, most manufacturers have advanced their ULF Toilet models through at least 2 more design ‘generations’. There have also been major advancements in ULF Flushometer-Tanks, and the invention of the brand new ULF Vacuum-Assist Technology. Hundreds of North American cities have implemented Toilet Replacement Programs and have reported excellent success with both the flushing performance and the ability to reduce the average water consumption of these ULF Toilets.

For the second most revered myth, insufficient drain-line carry ability, it is definitely a widely held belief among Plumbing Professionals that ULF’s will not discharge sufficient water into the existing plumbing systems to keep the drain-lines from blocking. However, unlike the perceived ‘flushing performance’ problems which stemmed from actual field reports of insufficient performance, there has not been a groundswell of complaints to indicate that ULF’s indeed do have a problem with drain-line carry.

In all of the Toilet Replacement Programs that have been implemented in North America so far, I have still have not seen of, or heard of, any drain-line carry problems in normal installations that are caused by the lower flow-rate from ULF Plumbing Fixtures. In fact, there is one well documented Toilet Replacement Program study that reports fewer instances of drain-line blockages with the ULF Toilets.

The cases that I have heard about were caused by irregularities. Problems have been reported in older installations where the drainage piping had sagged in the middle section, causing blockages with newly installed ULF Toilets that the original toilets were able to overcome. However, the plumbing system was definitely ‘out-of-spec’ and would have needed to be corrected sometime in the near future anyway. The only other cases that I know about were in very dry climatic regions, and concerned complications due to severe drought conditions.

There have also been tests completed on laboratory models of drain-line carry systems. None of these experiments found any evidence that would suggest that ULF Plumbing Fixtures would cause drain-line blockages. If fact, one of these laboratory models reported that the Pressurized ULF Toilets do not have a longer or better drain-line carry than the Gravity ULF Toilets.

As well, there are detailed reports from a well respected American laboratory which specify that the ANSI (ie. the U.S. equivalent to the CSA Plumbing Fixture Standard) Drain-Line Carry Test is totally ineffective. Virtually every toilet that they tested passed this drain-line carry test, even though some of these toilets couldn’t pass some of the other minimum ‘flushing performance’ requirements of the ANSI Standard. Therefore, all of the ULF Toilets that have passed this test and been installed in the U.S. without any drain-line carry problems, didn’t possess any special design characteristic that would enable them to have a better drain-line carry.

Closing Commentary

ULF Plumbing Fixtures are viable products to use in new installations, or for replacements in existing installations. The myths that all ULF’s can’t perform as well as field installations require, that they don't reduce the average water consumption, or that they will cause drain-line carry problems, should be extinguished.

That is not to say that all ULF’s are equal, or that they all have the necessary flushing performance level. Care still has to be taken to select models with the appropriate specifications for each type of installation, but Plumbing Professionals can feel confident that the correct ULF model does exist for all of their potential applications.

For more information, contact:
Dave Berge (B.I.D.)
President
5D Infusion Canada Inc. (Montreal)
Tel: (450) 346 6339

Dave Berge is currently the:
- Chairman of the CSA B45 Technical Committee on Plumbing Fixtures
- Chairman of the Canadian Contingent for the Trilateral Harmonization of Plumbing Standards

It used to be that "a toilet is a toilet is a toilet". Sure there were always the broad categories of Commercial and Residential, but if a mistake was made in the specification, it generally didn’t have a huge impact in the Level of Customer Satisfaction with the overall flushing performance for the installation.

Today, when faced with the responsibility of specifying a ULF Toilet or Urinal, the specific type of installation has become a critical consideration in the decision-making process, in order to ensure the appropriate level of flushing performance. Therefore, it is not difficult to comprehend the high level of anxiety that plumbing professionals feel, when they start realizing the technical complexities of these products.

You will need to update your vocabulary and definitions of plumbing industry terms in relation to ULF toilet technology such as : ‘Gravity’, ‘Water Seal’, ‘Pressurized’, ‘Siphonic-Action’, ‘Flushometer-Valve’, ‘Vacuum-Assist’, ‘Ball Pass’, ‘Flushometer-Tank’, ‘Water Surface’, ‘Rim Wash’, Average Water Consumption, Flush Cycle, etcetera.

However, I will help you to shorten your learning curve by categorizing and classifying the information to provide the foundation, on which to build your cognitive framework.

As an encouraging gesture to start off with, I can tell you right away that we won’t need to discuss the entire category of Urinals. Relative to ULF Toilets, there are very few real or perceived problems with ULF Urinals. In fact, most existing Flushometer-Valve Urinals can be converted to ULF’s simply by making an adjustment to the valve.

MAJOR ULF TOILET TECHNOLOGIES

1. Gravity

This ULF technology functions the same as all of the regular tank type toilets. This technology relies on the head pressure that 'gravity' exerts on the height and volume of water in the toilet tank. The action of pushing the 'flush lever' lifts the flapper, which forces the water into the bowl with a velocity that fills the trapway, initiates the siphoning action, and causes the toilet to flush.

Gravity ULF Toilets have the most limited range specifications. They may have a jet or not. The trapway Ball Pass’s vary in size from 1-1/2" to 2-1/8", with the average being around 1-3/4". The Water Seal is generally the CSA minimum of 2", with only a very few offering much more than 2-1/2". The Water Surface is also limited by the technology, and is generally in the 6" x 8" range.

2. Pressurized

There are two type of ULF pressurized technologies. They both use high water pressure to literally push all the waste material out of the bowl and into the plumbing system.

The first version uses a Flushometer-Valve instead of a tank, to introduce the pressurized water into the rim of the toilet bowl. The second, Flushometer-Tank, is the version which only uses the ceramic tank as an aesthetic cover to hide the true pressurized device inside. This air-tight 'device' is connected to the water supply from the building,and as the water fills the 'device', it compresses the air inside so that when the toilet is flushed, the pressurized water inside is forced into the toilet bowl causing a strong flushing action.

ULF pressurized toilet technology enables a wide range of specifications, however it must have a jet to regulate the high water pressure. The trapway can achieve a Ball Pass of 2-1/4". The Water Seal is able to reach 3", and the Water Surface a ‘full’ 10" x 12".

3. Vacuum-Assist

This is the newest of all ULF toilet technologies, and it combines the traditional Gravity Technology, with an innovative method of dramatically increasing the siphoning action.

Head-Pressure from the height of the water in the tank, works in conjunction with components inside of the tank which are connected to the trapway of the bowl. When the toilet is flushed, the water passing from the tank to the bowl creates a vacuum, which evacuates air from the top portion inside the trapway and results in a strong siphoning-action.

The Vacuum-Assist Technology provides the full gammit of specifications. It can have a jet or not. The trapway can achieve a Ball Pass of 2-1/4". The Water Seal is able to reach 3", and the Water Surface a ‘full’ 10" x 12".

TOILET BOWL SPECIFICATIONS

Jets

Most jets are in plain view at the bottom of the bowl. However, sometimes they are inside the trapway and hidden from view. It is best to check the product literature is you are not sure.

Water Surface

CSA, ANSI, and NOM have a minimum requirement of 4" x 5". In general, the larger the Water Surface the cleaner the bowl will stay. However, this is only a rule-of-thumb.

Ball Pass

CSA, ANSI, and NOM have a minimum requirement of 1-1/2", but this diameter won't even pass a golf ball.

Water Seal

CSA, ANSI, and NOM have a minimum requirement of 2". The larger the water seal, generally the greater the protection against sewer gases entering the building.

For more information, contact:
Dave Berge (B.I.D.)
President
5D Infusion Canada Inc. (Montreal)
Tel: (450) 346 6339

Dave Berge is currently the:
- Chairman of the CSA B45 Technical Committee on Plumbing Fixtures
- Chairman of the Canadian Contingent for the Trilateral Harmonization of Plumbing Standards

TOPIC: Water Efficient Plumbing Fixtures

BACKGROUND:

Terminology

The only 'plumbing fixtures' that have 'water efficiency' and 'flushing performance' ratings which can be regulated through certifications, are Water Closets (ie. Toilets) and Urinals. It is the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) , who manages the development and implementation of the B45 Plumbing Fixture Standard which specifies the material and procedural certification requirements.

The term 'water efficient' describes 'plumbing fixtures' that has an average water consumption per flushing cycle lower than a 'conventional' type Toilet or Urinal. The following are the definitions of Water Consumption Classifications as they are stated in the CSA B45 Plumbing Fixture Standard (note: all measurements must be determined in accordance with the tests and procedures specified in B45):

- Conventional Type

• a toilet having an average water consumption greater than 13.25 litres per flushing cycle
• a urinal having an average water consumption greater than 5.7 litres per flushing cycle

- Watersaver Type

• a toilet having an average water consumption not exceeding 13.25 litres per flushing cycle
• a urinal having an average water consumption not exceeding 5.7 litres per flushing cycle

- Low Consumption Type*

• a toilet having an average water consumption not exceeding 6.0 litres per flushing cycle
• a urinal having an average water consumption not exceeding 3.8 litres per flushing cycle

However, since the goal of most Water Efficiency Programs is reduce the average water consumption as possible, the 'low consumption type' is generally what is meant when referring to 'water efficient' toilets and urinals.

Importance

The importance of "Water Use Efficiency" can be found in Item 1.05, but it merits being emphasized again:

• It minimizes the impact of water withdrawals on the environment
• It triply minimizes the costs of: - providing, processing, and pumping water from its' source
• processing, and pumping of the wastewater
• increasing infrastructure to meet growing water demands
• It reduces the energy and chemical consumption, and the associated environmental effects
• It stretches the available water resources to enable sharing with 'water-poor' areas

Water Efficient Plumbing Fixtures have a very important impact on the average water consumption of the total municipal water volume. For Residential Installations, the toilet accounts for approximately 30% to 40% of the total household water usage, depending on the number and ages of people per household. Commercial Installations can have a much higher percentage of total water usage, especially for 'office' buildings with few other water-related uses, and due to the urinal installations which can have very high daily average water consumption.

Since the 'conventional' Residential Toilet has an average water consumption per flush of 16 to 20 litres, it is easy to calculate the very significant 18% to 28% total household water volume savings, using 'low consumption' Toilet replacements! Again, when the 'conventional' Commercial Toilets and Urinals are replaced with their 'low consumption' equivalents, the overall building water volume savings percentage can be much higher.

* note: the 'low consumption type' is more commonly referred to as the 'ULF' or 'Ultra Low Flush' type

North American Legislation and Regulation

There has been federal legislation in place in the United States since January, 1994, which mandated certified ULF Toilets for all New Residential Installations throughout all of the states.

The Mexican government has been mandating ULF Toilets for many years, but they didn't have their first official 'Low Consumption Toilet Standard', NOM 001, until late in 1995.

In Canada, the municipal government for the City of Vancouver** mandated the installation of ULF Toilets which have been CSA certified to the B45 Standard, for all New Residential Installations, effective July 1994. Then in January, 1996, the Province of Ontario legislated certified ULF Toilets for all New Residential Installations, and Watersaver Type Urinals for all of their New Commercial Installations.

In all of these instances, the legislation only pertains to New Installations (ie. any installation that requires a building permit) since they are the only installations which can be traced and inspected by a Plumbing/Building Inspector. All of these ULF Toilets need to be certified since this is the only official method of determining if the plumbing fixtures meet the ULF standard of the country in which they are installed.

Therefore, any ULF Toilets purchased at the 'retail level' for the D.I.Y. (ie. Do It Yourself) Market, do not need to be CSA certified to insure that they meet the ULF Standard. The reason being, that since they will end up in bathroom installations without 'building permits', they will never be inspected -- "buyer beware"!

General Consensus

In North America (ie. Canada, U.S.A., and Mexico), there are literally 'tens of millions' of ULF Toilets installed. The vast majority of these are in Residential Installations, although there have been millions of Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ie. IC&I) Installations as well, since the manufacturers have had specific ULF Toilet Models available in most of these categories for several years.

There have been several very professional, well-documented studies conducted which have shown the Residential ULF Plumbing Fixtures to be very effective in reducing the overall average water consumption within the anticipated 18% to 28% margin. Most of these studies have reported that the 'field test users' of these Residential ULF Toilets have had a high level of satisfaction with their flush performance.

However, there has also been varying amounts of resistance, especially in the initial implementation phases, from all of the marketplaces which have been legislated into using ULF Plumbing Fixtures. This resistance has been mainly focused against the ULF Toilets, with the majority of the complaints being about the flushing performance not being sufficient for the specific 'category of installation' (ie. Residential, Transient, Commercial, High-Use Commercial, or Institutional).

CURRENT STATUS:

Even though, in the past 2 to 3 years, there have been several significant technological advancements in the 'flush performance engineering' for ULF Toilets and Urinals, there continues to be a lot of resistance. It has become so strong against ULF Toilets in the United States, that the Michigan Representative, Joe Knollenberg, has introduced bill HR 859 to Congress to repeal the existing legislation under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act!

** note: Vancouver and Montreal are the only 2 cities in Canada, who are legally capable of mandating such legislation, due to the rights granted to them in their original 'Charters'.

There are several valid reasons for this resistance, but there are also as many or more that are invalid. It is true that there is a large percentage of ULF Toilets which do not function sufficiently for their 'category of installation'. However, there is an equally large percentage of ULF Toilets which do function sufficiently, and even surpass the requirements for their 'category of installation'.

The problem is, that the existing Plumbing Fixture Standards aren't able to definitively distinguish which are sufficient, and which aren't. It is not just simply a problem with the engineering design of the ULF Toilets either. There are many potentially debilitating 'issues' that can affect the actual or perceived flushing performance capabilities.

IMPLICATIONS:

Since ULF Plumbing Fixtures will be a large part of all municipal Water and Wastewater "Water Use Efficiency Programs", it is critical that a new 'classification' program be developed to certify ULF Toilets to ensure their proper functioning in their intended 'category of installation' (ie. Residential, Transient, Commercial, High-Use Commercial, or Institutional).

There will also need to be massive 'public and professional education programs' specifically designed to address all of the complex technical and sociological issues surrounding ULF Toilets and Urinals.

However, expressly because we Canadians live in such freshwater-abundant luxury, the most monumental task that must be successfully accomplished, is the 'public relations program' that convinces Canadians that there is a real need, and a real benefit, to conserving our fresh-water resources.

For more information, contact:
Dave Berge (B.I.D.)
President
5D Infusion Canada Inc. (Montreal)
Tel: (450) 346 6339

Dave Berge is currently the:
- Chairman of the CSA B45 Technical Committee on Plumbing Fixtures
- Chairman of the Canadian Contingent for the Trilateral Harmonization of Plumbing Standards