[GreenYes] Re: Earth Policy News - Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain

["M.Simons" <msimons@no.address>]

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006, Helen Spiegelman wrote:
> consumption/waste, rather than meeting a biological need. In the same vein, 
> how about if North American cities and towns provided public toilets, as they 
> do in European cities? We subsidize consumption and waste, but privatize 
> bodily functions.

As I understand it the ADA (americans with disabilities act) sometimes 
gets in the way of public toilets such as those self-contained, stand-alone,
self-cleaning, possibly pay, toilets that can be set up and look kind of 
like little news kiosks.

ADA basically says things to the effect of all new structures need to be 
ADA compliant, right?  So the problem arises when one wants to put a 
non-wheelchair accessible unit.  You can the non-wheelchair ones in more 
places because they're smaller, lets say one block corner you would have 
two or more units.. and at the next corner, you would have one wheelchair 
accessible one.

I think they looked at these in Philadelphia and had that ADA problem.

In addition, in some places, there are problems with these and the 
homeless potentially using them for shelter.  Of course one might argue 
about what the problem is in that case, but the issue still breaks down to 
a facility not being able to be used, breaking down, or otherwise being 
vandalized for one reason or another.

Even if you weren't going with one of these self-cleaning units.. you 
would then need to come up with a group of people to regularly clean and 
restock them.  Litter bins require very little maintenance.

--
MS