Challenge
In 2015, China had started an efficient program to improve toilets across the country, especially in rural areas and at tourist sites. Since then, tens of thousands of facilities at tourist sites across the country had been built or upgraded.
The Jiuzhaigou National Park located in Sichuan Province on the edge of the Tibetan plateau stretches over 72,000 hectares (180,000 acres) and is famous for its beautiful waterfalls, colorful lakes and snow-capped peaks. It is also home to giant pandas, Sichuan golden monkeys and many other endangered plant and animal species. The park was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997.
In 2018, the region was affected by an earthquake which damaged many buildings including restroom facilities in the park. This combined with the government´s “toilet revolution” program, led to a complete reappraisal and renewal of the public toilet requirements.
Solution
Evac supplied 23 Evac SnoozeVac vacuum collection units which are used at 16 different locations throughout the park. The units are very compact with just one vacuum pump and one discharge pump making them ideally suited for applications in remote areas.
Evac also supplied more than 100 squatting toilets and over 50 Evac Optima® 3 vacuum toilets, some installed in container mobile restrooms and others in mobile bus restrooms which travel around the park.
Benefits
Vacuum mobile toilets provide high water savings leading to a reduction in wastewater storage tank volume as well as water consumption. Unlike conventional plumbing systems, vacuum drainage systems transport wastewater by withdrawing air rather than relying on water and gravity.
The Evac vacuum toilet offers up to 90% saving on flushing water compared to a standard toilet. Our vacuum toilets use only 1.2 liters per flush, and our vacuum urinals only 0.6 liters per flush. In comparison, a dual-flush toilet uses 4–9 liters per flush.
They also offer a more pleasant user experience with less residual odor, cleaner flushing and no chemical use or recirculation. Evac vacuum toilets offer a more sanitary environment than traditional gravity toilets as they get rid of 60 liters of odors, mists, and bacteria with every flush, making them ideal for settings where hundreds of visitors need to use public toilets. The risk of leakage is also greatly reduced because of the pressure differential which sucks air instead of leaking water out in case of a pipe breach.
