1. A presentation to the
World Toilet
Summit
Durban, South Africa on 6 December 2012
by
Abigail Brown, PHLUSH
abby@phlush.org

2. Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human (PHLUSH)
Portland, Oregon, USA
Advocating Sensible
Sanitation in North
America: What Works

3. Public
Hygiene
Lets
Us
Stay
Human
All-volunteer group
founded in 2005 in
Portland, Oregon.
Sanitation advocacy
and education in North
American context.
Started with public
toilet design and
expanded to other
toilet topics.

4. PHLUSH believes toilet availability is a human
right and that well-designed sanitation systems
restore health to our cities, waters, and soils.

5. 1. Public Toilet
Design
2. Emergency Toilets
3. Ecological
Sanitation
PHLUSH GoalsGoals

6. Public Toilet Design ChallengeChallenge
Public toilets closed in
Portland due to budget-cuts.
Public defecation on
sidewalks downtown.
Lack of knowledge public
toilet locations and some
public toilets unsafe.
Re-design/design current
and future toilets.
PhotoCourtesy:UniversityofOregonLibraries

7. 1. Cost Effectiveness
2. Max Function/Min Space
3. Safety
4. Accessibility
5. Availability
6. Attractiveness
7. Ease of maintenance
Public Toilet Design ActionAction
PhotoCourtesy:PHLUSHRestroomDesignPrinciples

8. www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=59293
Public Toilet Design ResultResult
PhotoCourtesy:CarolMcCreary

9. Emergency Toilets ChallengeChallenge
Major subduction zone
from Canada to California.
Earthquake of 8.5 overdue.
Risk managers say 6
months to 1+ years for
repair of sewer.
Local emergency providers
not giving detailed long-
term sanitation
information.
PhotoCourtesy:UnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey

10. Emergency Toilets ActionAction
Adapted emergency toilet
used in Christchurch, NZ.
Two buckets, lids, and seat
organic fiber, hygiene kit.
Created outreach materials
about simple solution
called Twin Bucket Toilet.
Partner organization MDML
created long-term
composting guide.
PhotoCourtesy:CarolMcCreary

11. Emergency Toilets ResultResultPhotoCourtesy:CarolMcCreary
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/56765http://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/article/394125

12. Ecological Sanitation ChallengeChallenge
Closed-loop sanitation
systems poorly
understood in US.
Appropriate for rural
areas, earthquake risks,
and water shortages.
Lack of research for
efficiency of US eco-san
systems.
Code barriers to
sustainable sanitation.
PhotoCourtesy:EMSWCDPhotoCourtesy:MadisonCo.

13. Ecological Sanitation ActionAction
Bring together people
working on US eco-san.
Make eco-san
information available.
Have eco-san webpage
and mobile library.
Refer people to SuSanA
forum, SSWM Toolbox,
EcoSanRes, and more.
PhotoCourtesy:CarolMcCreary
http://www.ecosanres.org
http://www.susana.org
http://www.sswm.info

14. Ecological Sanitation ResultResult
PhotosCourtesy:MDML
http://sustainablep.asu.edu/prcn
http://recodeoregon.org
http://mdml.com

15. SummarySummary
PHLUSH challenges: public toilet
design, emergency sanitation,
ecological sanitation.
Talking toilets locally and
globally in North America.
Cross-cultural info-sharing
valuable for toilet design and
awareness.
Questions moving forward:
water, climate change, and
sanitation.

16. Thank you for your attention. Let us
join together for toilets and
sustainable sanitation for all!
Abby Brown
@waterfortheages
PHLUSH
@PortlandPHLUSH
www.phlush.org