Bronx Zoo Eco-Restroom

The Bronx Zoo has been educating and entertaining visitors since 1899. Owned and operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Zoo has a strong focus on environmental conservation.

In early 2004, management decided to replace the restrooms by the Bronxdale entrance in order to better serve the thousands of visitors entering and exiting the Zoo via the adjacent parking lot. At that time, the old restroom building’s septic system was failing and in need of a replacement. Installation of a new septic system at the site was rejected due to concern over the pollution that such a system could create in the nearby Bronx River. Establishing a sewer connection at the site was considered but was also abandoned; the plan would have required tunneling under the Bronx River Parkway at a huge cost.

In the fall of 2004, the Zoo instead decided to install Clivus Multrum Composting Toilet Systems in the comfort station restrooms. In addition to saving money, the odorless Clivus systems capture and recycle the nutrients in human waste and use only minimal water for flushing.

The new comfort station, now known as the Eco-Restroom, was designed by Edelman Sultan Knox Wood and opened in November 2006. It is sized to accommodate more than ½ million visitors per year, and has 18 toilet fixtures—including 14 foam-flush toilets and 4 waterless urinals. Because the foam-flush toilets use only 3oz. of water per flush, the Clivus systems are capable of saving over 1,000,000 gallons of water each year, as compared to conventional low-flow (1.6gpf) toilets. And because the Eco-Restroom also includes a greywater irrigation system, the building is able to manage all of its wastewater sustainably, onsite. The use of these technologies and others, including a rainwater harvesting system, maximized natural daylighting, high-efficiency CFL bulbs, and efficient radiant floor heating, contributed to the Eco-Restroom being named New York Construction's 2007 Eco Project of the Year.