Poly student invents electronic urinal system

Midlands Correspondent
A THIRD year student at Kwekwe Polytechnic has invented an electronic urinal system, which only flashes out water when one is using it. Urinal systems in most buildings especially public toilets and bars are designed in such a way that water would be continuously running even during the night when no one is using them.

In an interview at the just-ended Midlands Agricultural Show where Kwekwe Polytechnic was exhibiting the electronic urinal system, the inventor, Mr Magazine Lizwe, said the device was equipped with sensors which detected a person when using the urinal.

“I was driven into inventing the electronic urinal system with the idea of trying to conserve water. The types of urinal systems we have at the moment are designed in a manner that there is continuous running water with gallons and gallons of treated water going to waste,” he said.

Mr Lizwe said the new electronic urinal system was efficient and very economic in the sense that it conserved water.
“The electronic urinal system has some sensors which detect a person when he/she is urinating.  Upon sensing the person, the sensors then open valves and flash out water only for that short period when one is urinating,” he said.

Mr Lizwe sad the new system was recently installed in some public toilets at the institution and proved to be very effective.
“We got a sample electronic urinal system which we have since installed at the institution. The system is very effective and our findings were that a whole institution like Kwekwe Poly can use at most two 25 litre containers of water per day compared to gallons and gallons of treated water that can be used by ordinary urinal systems,” he said.

Mr Lizwe said the electronic urinal system can be operated with some rechargeable batteries during times when there will be no electricity.
“The whole idea behind the whole system is to conserve. When there is no electricity, the sensors can be operated using batteries and the sensors do not require high voltage batteries. Twelve 12-volts batteries can operate the sensors,” he said.