National Toilet Day

Today is National Toilet Day, as proclaimed by the World Toilet Organization.  World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a global non- profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide (http://worldtoiletday.com/).  This is really no joke or laughing matter here in the USA and elsewhere in the world.  In truth, 2.5 billion people worldwide are without access to proper sanitation, which risks their health, strips their dignity, and kills 1.8 million people, mostly children, a year.  Even the world's wealthiest people still have toilet problems - from unhygienic public toilets to sewage disposal that destroys our waterways. 

Another reason that we should bring this to the attention of our students is that the average person goes to the toilet between six and eight times a day. Of the 69 gallons of water Americans use per person per day indoors, 27% (18.5 gallons) goes to flushing -- more than on showering or laundry or any other single activity, says the American Water Works Assn.  And while we flush 69 gallons of water down the toilet there are tens of millions who do not even have access to clean drinking water let alone a decent toilet.  It is also time for students to realize how much water can be wasted in a hotel or foodservice operation if the toilets are not functioning properly, leaking, or in constant use like those at a conference hotel which can impact a business that runs on tight margins.