Water Wheel Jan/Feb 2023: Sanitation

Abstract

SANITATION Winston Churchill, so the story goes, went into the House of Commons WC, where he saw Clement Atlee relieving himself at one of the urinals. Churchill strode past him to a urinal at the end of the room. Seeing an opportunity to tease Churchill, Atlee asked “What’s the matter, Winston, shy?” “Not at all,” replied Churchill, “it’s just that every time you see something large, you want to nationalise it.” The exchange is probably apocryphal, but it does give us pause to ponder on the subject of public toilets, particularly those at the workplace, where visits are practically unavoidable and encounters with colleagues occasionally exceed the bounds of friendly banter. So, how do South Africans regard the toilets and change-rooms at the factories or offices where they work? Are they sufficiently private and safe? Are they sufficiently inclusive? What’s wrong with them and how might they be made better? This, in summary, is the substance of two related reports published by the Water Research Commission (WRC) in September 2022.

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