Toilets, Risk, and Economics

Imagine that the people cleaning the sanitary sewers in a town put so much pressure in the sewer lines that residents' toilet lids are blown open and the lavatory walls are sprayed with sewer contents. Here is the story, from Australia, courtesy of Brian Ferguson.

Householders in the city of Sale in Victoria's south-east area are being warned to batten down their toilet lids next week.

The local sewerage authority, Gippsland Water, has posted a colour brochure to homes warning people to keep their toilet lids closed and weighted down all next week.

The authority is cleaning the sewerage mains with high pressure jets.

During a similar operation about three years ago, the process caused raw sewage to explode out of a toilet at a house in King George Avenue coating the walls, floors and ceiling.

This process involves a known risk, especially now that the process is being used a second time. If it is cheaper to make households responsible for putting bricks on their toilet lids than it is to find an alternative method for cleaning the sewers, this makes sense.

For two more fun stories about toilets, check out Secret Dubai.

And if you are really interested in toilets, you will not want to pass up the opportunity to visit "Loo and Behold", the toilet museum.