2016, CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES
Bennett Heyn was concerned by how much water Sycamore High School’s automatic flush toilets and urinals were wasting. Looking at the men’s restrooms specifically, with each “phantom flush” of a toilet 1.5 gallons of water were wasted alongside an additional 0.5 gallon per urinal. To create a solution to this problem, Bennett decided he would need to purchase additional sensors for the bathroom. These mirror devices attach to the automatic sensors, but require the user to hold their hands in front of it for a few seconds in order to activate the flush.
Installing four new sensors would save around 5,830 gallons of water per year, and a small start could lead to more being installed down the road. This project would benefit the environment by preserving the amount of natural water in it. Bennett’s high school would be reducing their water bill while also keeping the Little Miami Watershed clean. This project would be a great start for larger changes Sycamore could make down the road.