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Mar 18, 2009 7:06 am US/Central
I-TEAM: Waterless Urinals Not In New Stadiums
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
Last year, the I-TEAM reported on Minnesota being the only state in the union to outlaw waterless urinals.
That prohibition was lifted, but they're still not allowed. You won't find them at the new Twins Stadium, or at the new Gopher Stadium either.
Despite the fact that designers at both stadiums are going for all the green standards they can get, thousands of environmentally friendly water-free urinals will not be installed because the water-saving devices are still not allowed in Minnesota.
Following last year's I-TEAM report, the state legislature removed the prohibition. It then directed the Minnesota Plumbing Board to write code to make them legal.
Board chair John Parizek says part of the delay is waiting for information from manufacturers.
"Once the prohibition was lifted, the current plumbing board hadn't received any request to look at these until July of 2008," said Parizek.
Manufacturers attended a meeting as soon as they were put on the agenda in August 2008, but they say they did not hear back from the Board again until December.
Now the Board will consider concessions made in other states -- concessions made because of the power of pipe trade unions.
"We've seen a lot of information on waterless urinals, and more and more as time goes on that people that aren't happy with these urinals are removing them and putting in water-fed urinals again," said Parizek. "And I think that some of these other states that are looking at, well, if they're going to take this one out and put a water-fed one back in, then make sure that there's going to be water there for it.
"So far our state, or the plumbing board, hasn't made any decision one way or the other whether we would require that or not," he said, adding that he believed waterless urinals would someday permitted and coded in Minnesota.
The I-TEAM talked with the president of the Minnesota Pipe Trades, who says they support water-free urinals and would "not insist" on the extra pipeline.
The Plumbing Board chair promises action on this at the next meeting next Wednesday.
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