For a long time in the cities there was no full-fledged sewage system. The sewage was often thrown directly into the street, which, of course, led not only to constant stench and dirt, but also to the development of serious infectious diseases, sometimes developing into extensive epidemics.
Therefore, the role played by the first public toilets cannot be overestimated. They not only allowed to clean the streets of large cities, but also literally saved the lives of many people.
A bit of history
The first public toilets appeared in Russia only in the 19th century. So, in St. Petersburg in 1871, a latrine called a “retiradnik” was built next to the Mikhailovsky Manege. It was a house built over a cesspool, in which a small Russian stove was placed for heating.
Success inspired, and a little later the city government built 42 more of the same toilets. All of them gravitated towards places where the largest number of people gathered - markets, the central district of the city, squares and parks. The initiative was gradually picked up by other Russiancities.
Types of public toilets (natural)
Depending on the way sewage is removed, the following types of public toilets are distinguished - natural, dry closets, chemical and sewer.
- In places where there is no centralized sewerage, the so-called natural toilets operate successfully. They are a small cabin built over a cesspool. To do this, a flooring is made above it with a hole (point) cut in it, into which those who wish and relieve themselves. In order for fresh air to enter the booth, a small vent is usually made in the door. Feces are periodically sprinkled with earth or peat to improve their biological processing and somewhat reduce the unpleasant odor. And the filled cesspool is periodically cleaned with a sewage machine or manually.
- The dry closets use peat to dispose of waste, so that the contents gradually turn into compost suitable for plant fertilization. In contrast, chemical toilets dispose of waste using chemicals and are therefore preferred for use, for example, on construction sites or during festivals.
- Sewer toilets are the prerogative of places that have a centralized sewer that allows feces to be removed with a stream of water.
Requirements for the location of public toilets
Growing cities require more and more public latrines. The construction of such buildings requires a serious approach, whichshould take into account not only the location, but also the sufficiency of power (it is believed that there should be 0.3 devices per 1000 people).
When designing, it is required to comply with certain dimensions of public toilets, which proceed from the fact that each toilet requires at least 2.5 m, and each urinal - at least 1.5 meters of territory. The height of the premises implies 3.2 m in free-standing buildings, and in built-in or underground structures it must be at least 2.8 m.
Where can public toilets be located
There are also certain rules for the place where public toilets can be placed.
Thus, according to sanitary requirements, their installation in residential buildings, in school and preschool children's institutions, as well as in building complexes allocated for medical and preventive or sanitary and epidemiological institutions, is not allowed.
Toilets in public buildings that receive a large number of visitors are installed at a distance of no more than 75 m from the most remote place where people are constantly located. And in stadiums, this distance should not exceed 150 m from the place of sports or from the farthest place in the stands.
Mobile toilet cubicles are recommended to be placed no closer than 50 m from public and residential buildings. A similar requirement, by the way, applies to stationary toilets.
Designation of public toilets
To designate a toilet in a public place, different cities and countries use different signs. Apart frominscriptions "Toilet", in Europe it can be the letters WC (abbreviated water closet).
And in hotels and hotels, public toilets located on the floor are designated OO, which means that this room has no numbering. True, many believe that such an inscription came from the British army, where the toilet rooms for officers (Officers Only) were so inscribed.
In addition, in parallel public toilets, the designations of the departments for men and women are used - "M" and "F" or "M" and "W" (in the English version). In some cases, pictograms or images associated with either the toilet theme or the visitor's gender are used instead of labels.
Public toilets for all genders
Recently, more and more restrooms are gender-neutral. That is, on the premises reserved for this type of service, it is less and less common to see signs that these are public men's or women's toilets.
Such changes are due to the fact that the possibility of visiting the latrines only by persons of a certain sex creates some difficulties. For example, men taking sole care of an infant may find that the changing table is only available in the ladies' room. The father of a growing girl may also face a problem - either allow a small child to go to the female half on his own, or take her with him to the male half. Agree: both options are equally inconvenient.
Toilets for people of both sexes are built with a large dressing room where you can wash your hands and put your clothes in order, and withroom with enclosed cabins. This allows both men and women not to embarrass each other.
Plumbing for public toilets
Requirements for sanitary equipment for public toilets do not depend on how many visitors at the same time they are designed - it must be vandal-proof and easy to clean.
And the most popular in this regard is the toilet bowl for public toilets - the Genoa bowl. It is a rectangular product made of cast iron, steel or ceramic, with special notches for the legs and an oblong container in the middle, which suggests squatting. And this has undoubted advantages, since the visitor does not need to touch the surfaces with anything other than shoes.
Unlike other types of toilet bowls, the Genoa bowl is reliable and has a very long service life.
Toilets can be beautiful
In our time, public toilets are gradually ceasing to be places where you want to jump out as soon as possible. In many cities around the world, these premises have become architectural landmarks.
- Thus, in Tel Aviv (Israel), round orange booths are pleasing to the eye, more like oranges than toilets. And in Gdansk (Poland), the historical part of the city was decorated with a design that looked like a raindrop, which harmoniously blended into the local flavor.
- Japanese architects have created 17 types of public toilets forHiroshima parks, made in the style of origami, but at the same time poured out of concrete. They are painted in bright colors and serve as a decoration of the area.
- And in the city of Uster (Switzerland), the toilet resembles a cube covered with scaly snake skin. This effect was achieved by weaving together about 300 aluminum strips painted in different shades of green.
- Toilet in downtown Austin (Texas, USA) is located next to the alley, which was chosen by the runners. It looks more like a wooden plank installation than a toilet, so it blends in perfectly with the surrounding landscape.
- And in the beach area of Wellington (New Zealand) toilets look like sea monsters with long frilled tails. These tails, by the way, are natural ventilation for the room.
- But the women's public toilet in the Shoi Tabuchi Theater (USA) can be called the most beautiful. It looks more like a room in a chic palace filled with flowers. The mirrors here are set in massive bronze frames, and there are even rocking chairs for those who want to relax.
And yet there are not enough public toilets
But still, according to the UN, every day about 2.5 billion people in the world suffer from a lack of public toilets. Moreover, the employees of this organization recognized the named situation as close to catastrophic.
After all, even where latrines are available, they often end up in a terrible state, which is why people who use them risk their he alth. And women and children, visiting publictoilets, often become victims of violence in them. As a result, many people are forced to relieve themselves in places that are not suitable for this, which, of course, has a negative impact on the epidemiological and environmental situation in the world.
Public toilets in Moscow
Moscow is not an exception in this sense. It can be very difficult for visitors, and even the residents of the city, to find a place where you can relieve yourself. After all, many existing public restrooms are simply unobtrusive. They do not only have advertising, but even easily recognizable designations. Obviously, this is due to the fact that the staff is absolutely not interested in increasing the number of visitors.
From the mid-90s, blue plastic toilet cubicles (which were mistakenly called dry closets) were brought to Moscow. Most of them were gradually transferred to the operation of entrepreneurs. And although the advantages of such latrines are obvious - they are mobile, do not take up much space, are inexpensive and perfectly pay for themselves within a couple of months - they are still too few for a huge city. This, in the end, leads to the fact that the "blue booths" quickly turn into an unusable place.
The new modular toilets, which began to appear in Moscow in 2013, are called to correct the situation. They are equipped with lights, hot water, a self-cleaning system, soap, a mirror, and even a "panic button" that can be used to call the police or an ambulance.
A final word
To a large extent by the waypublic toilets, one can judge the level of culture and development of the state.
The ability to satisfy your physiological needs in comfortable conditions is a sign of concern for citizens. And the way citizens relate to the safety of property and maintaining order in such institutions can say a lot about their upbringing, education and hygiene habits. It's a pity if public restrooms will only be a source of unpleasant experiences.
