ERIE, Pa., January 10, 2008 – Zurn Engineered Water Solutions, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial plumbing products in the nation, is introducing a “green” urinal system that uses only one pint of water per flush. By comparison, most urinals use one gallon or more per flush. The Zurn EcoVantage™ Pint Urinal System is a certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) product.

The EcoVantage Pint Urinal is an excellent alternative to waterless urinals. Its extremely low water consumption represents an 85% water savings compared to a one-gallon urinal. This overall savings translates into an average of up to 30,000 gallons per urinal per year, which makes this product ideal for both retrofits of existing facilities and new construction.

The product is engineered for optimal performance and hygiene in demanding environments. It features sensor-operated, smart flush valve technology that creates a sanitary, hands-free operation for users. The EcoVantage high-efficiency series of water conserving urinals and toilets are easy to retrofit because they have a large footprint to cover most existing installations.

According to Zurn Engineered Water Solutions President Carl Nicolia, “this unique and water-conserving product further illustrates the Zurn commitment to green products and leadership in plumbing system innovation. It leads the way with ultra low water consumption.

The EcoVantage Pint Urinals have been chosen by numerous Georgia building owners and retailers to react to recent drought conditions. The retrofit Pint Urinal provides a quick and easy solution for water conservation in their existing facilities. Numerous retrofit projects are occurring throughout the state that will result in several million gallons of water savings each year.

Marty LaPorte, Stanford University Utilities Department manager of water resources and environmental quality, notes "our plumbers and users liked the demo urinal; it works well.  So I decided they are a viable technology for us. We started retrofitting 63 old (>1gpf) urinals in late March.  Because of the urinal’s design, the retrofitting requires no or minimum carpentry, or additional work due to tile and different footprints.”

To make installation easier, Zurn EcoVantage fixture systems can be easily configured. A custom designed, internet-based computer modeling program allows the user to quickly mix and match components depending on need and performance requirements.

The Zurn EcoVantage line provides a mix of innovative LEED/Green listed products including high-efficiency one pint urinals, low consumption toilets and 1.28 ultra low flow flush valve fixtures. Lavatories can be installed with self-generating sensor faucets and metering faucets with low flow pressure compensating aerators that deliver the same level of performance as traditional fittings with minimal water consumption. All can be installed as part of new construction or retrofitted to existing installations.

To coincide with the launch of this innovative new product, Zurn formed an industry-wide initiative of construction industry leaders. Through this initiative participants pledge to work together to help developers, owners and managers of large facilities make green improvements and create more sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings. Green product information, conservation information, success stories and a list of participating industry leaders can be found at www.standupfortheearth.org.

Zurn Engineered Water Solutions, based in Erie, Pa., offers a century-old tradition of high-quality products and customer service. Founded in 1900, Zurn was created initially to manufacture a patented backwater valve. The company has worked throughout the past century to expand its product offering. Today, Zurn manufactures the largest breadth of engineered water solutions in the industry, including a wide-spectrum of green plumbing products. More information can be found at www.zurn.com.

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