Have you thought about what it would be like to live without toilets? According to the WHO and CDC, about 3.6 billion people don’t have access to safely managed sanitation in their home. Inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes, and soil — contaminating the water resources under our feet.
World Toilet Day is held every year on November 19. It has been an annual United Nations Observance since 2013. This year, World Toilet Day focuses on the impact of the sanitation crisis on groundwater and making the invisible visible. This issue may seem invisible because it happens underground, and because it is more likely to happen in poorer, underserved, and marginalized communities.
The United Nations has set a goal to ensure everyone on Earth has access to safe sanitation by 2030, but that effort is seriously off track. World Toilet Day 2022 calls on decision and policymakers to accelerate progress on sanitation and create meaningful legislation to ensure access for all.
Clean Water Services is dedicated to protecting public health while enhancing the natural environment. We clean Washington County’s used water — including what you flush down your toilet — to near drinking water standards before returning it to the Tualatin River.
All water moves through a cycle of use and reuse in watersheds throughout the world. This closed system supports our economy, ecology, and community. We all share this one water. Explore the One Water Cycle and follow the many paths water can take.
