Does Urinating in the Shower Help Conserve Water?

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When people think of the shower, they typically consider it a place where they can get rid of the dirt and muck of the day by thoroughly brushing, lathering and rising. Not a whole lot of people would equate urinating in that same place on par with a level of cleanliness associated with such an environment.

It would seem that there are those who deem the shower and toilet as two separate entities with two separate purposes, arguing that one wouldn’t clean themselves in the toilet, so why should they relieve themselves in a shower stall? Others — perhaps where a vast majority of people reside — fall into the “yes, I urinate while showering but wouldn’t dare admit to doing so” realm.

Then there’s a completely different take on the situation occurring, one where students at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, UK are actually encouraged to urinate while taking their morning shower.(1) Rather than jump to strange conclusions, consider the fact that the request is steeped deep in the desire to improve the environment. In a nutshell, the effort is the brainchild of two UEA students, Chris Dobson and Debs Torr, who say that urinating while showering kills two birds with one stone and ultimately saves/reduces the amount of water that’s otherwise wasted by flushing water.(1)

Turns out a significant amount of water could be saved.

“With 15,000 students at UEA,” Dobson says that “over a year we would save enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool 26 times over.”(1)

As for those concerned about health risks or who think that the act is unsanitary, Dobson assures people that “As long as the water is flowing, there is no hygiene risk as urine is sterile but we would encourage that every person using the same shower consents to the challenge and if not, that they don’t take part.”(1) In the latter part of his comment, he’s referring to those who may use a shower in community settings.

The effort has made strides in social media, including a “Go with the Flow” Facebook page and its own Twitter hashtag, #GoWithTheFlow.(1)

On Facebook, the page describes the water-conserving initiative as a great way to help Earth. “Wake up. Pee in the Shower. Save Water. Save the Planet,” is the short and sweet wording on the Facebook page introduction, while more details reinforce the benefits (shower urination saves 12 liters — about 3 gallons — of fresh water every time).

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://www.bbc.com/
(2) https://www.facebook.com/npgowiththeflow/info

Antonia
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. (http://www.rawfoodhealthwatch.com/)