Forget automatic hand dryers and sensor flushing: The latest scoop on poop is all about rotating toilets that clean themselves, send alerts when the paper runs out and cost as much as a downtown condo.
Already a common sight in Paris, New York and London, a batch of self-cleaning, electronically monitored, fully automatic toilets are now on their way to downtown Vancouver, and Toronto is next in the lineup.
The so-called automatic public toilets, or APTs, not only flush automatically but also are fully disinfected and blown dry after each use. Each standalone unit houses one toilet, with a self-locking door and a timer that lets you know when the allotted time (usually 10 to 15 minutes) is about to end.
And if you're not done when the time expires? Start waving to passersby, because the door will spring open anyway.
Taxpayers won't have to pick up the bill for the units, which can cost up to $300,000 each. Companies bid for the chance to install and maintain them as part of a city's “street furniture” contract, putting the toilets in the same realm as bus shelters, newspaper boxes and bicycle stands. The company can then use the ATP's exterior for billboard advertising to recoup its cost, and even turn a tidy profit.
It's an idea that has Shelley Carroll, chair of Toronto City Council's works committee, flush with excitement. Ms. Carroll heard about the units from fellow councillors who were won over by the idea while in Europe and came home singing their praise, like lavatory evangelists.
When she spotted one outside her own Rome hotel not long ago, Ms. Carroll said her only disappointment was the fact she didn't need to use it. She did take a peek inside, though, and liked what she saw.
“I think it's going to be one of the most interesting things,” Ms. Carroll said in an interview. Most city residents know where to find a decent washroom, she said, but for newcomers and tourists it could be a tough task, especially with the rise in patrons-only washrooms in stores and restaurants.
To keep up with demand, she said the city needs to streamline the public washroom system, and that's where the automatic option comes in.
Vancouver will have eight units installed in the downtown area by November, just in time for World Toilet Day, designated as Nov. 19 by the World Toilet Organization. Toronto will call for tenders for the units next month, and they should start appearing on downtown streets in 2008.
While the units are often coin operated, B.C. law requires the facilities to be free, and Toronto is considering making the same request of the company that wins the contract.
Another feature that is determined with the supplier is the maximum amount of time that will be allotted to each user. City of Vancouver engineer Grant Woff said his city will probably settle on a 10-minute period. “I think you need to balance that, to give sufficient time for somebody to do what they have to do, but if people are kept [waiting] too long they can get angry,” he said in an interview.
Toronto Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker hopes there will eventually be APTs all over the city.
“These are the greatest things since sliced bread. I think they'll be a lot of fun,” he said. “People will love them.”
One British regional council, however, found that automatic doesn't always mean better. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council closed its APTs because the $29,500 annual running costs and infrequent usage meant that the cost per use was averaging $15.
Richard Chisnell, of the British Toilet Association, said washroom standards have been slipping around the world as cities cut costs by closing public facilities. Even in Britain, which gave the world public toilets in the Victorian era, about half the public facilities have been closed in the past decade.
“This is a very big issue,” Mr. Chisnell said. “We've now realized we've let our standards slip too low.” Auto-toilets help address this issue, he said, noting that the standalone units also help deter vandalism and prevent vagrants from sleeping inside the units.
Meanwhile, Beijing is pouring 400 million yuan ($55.8-million) into its toilet network in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. But instead of hitting the high-tech button, the Chinese capital aims for a more personal touch: Each of its toilets will be staffed by attendants who speak basic English.
