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May 8, 2008 11:03 pm US/Central
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I-TEAM: Vote On Waterless Urinals, How About AAVs?
(WCCO)
On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate voted to do away with a law that made Minnesota the only state in the nation deeming waterless urinals illegal.
Waterless urinals are a fixture that, depending on what it replaced, could save 40,000 gallons of water a year.
While the Senate voted to reverse the law, the power of the plumbing unions prevailed when they continued to outlaw another product.
More than 25 countries around the world, including the United States, are installing waterless urinals. Its part of a worldwide effort to conserve one of the earth's most rapidly diminishing natural resources -- not oil or gas -- but water.
However, in 2007, the Minnesota legislature made a law prohibiting the fixtures. In the same law it also prohibited another plumbing product used around the world -- air admittance valves -- AAVs.
AAVs are used to prevent sewer gas from being released without having to build a pipe-venting system through the roofs of buildings.
Jack Beuschel is the president of a valve company who testified before the Minnesota Senate this week.
"It reduces the cost of construction," said Beuschel, president of Studor, Inc. "It provides for more affordable housing cause you don't have to run all the vent piping through the building frame and up through the roof."
However, plumbers and their labor unions have not been supportive of waterless urinals or AAVs. They have fought against them in other states arguing they will impact jobs.
"There isn't consensus, there are studies out there. There's a lot of stuff, so," said former state senator Dave Johnson, who represents Minnesota Pipetrades.
The Minnesota Senate finance committee voted on Thursday to lift the prohibition on waterless urinals, but still outlaw air admittance valves. That could land the state in court and AAV makers say they've never lost a case.
"We're not asking for the legislature to approve of AAVs, but asking for the opportunity ... for the ban to be repealed so we can go before the state plumbing board," said Beuschel.
Minnesota's Plumbing Board has asked the legislature to repeal the prohibition of waterless urinals and air admittance valves. The board argues it cannot make rules about products that are outlawed.
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