19 November - World toilet day 2022 - Making the invisible visible
Initiated by the United Nations in 2013, World Toilet Day takes place every year on 19 November. This year's theme, "Groundwater and Sanitation", highlights the impact of the sanitation crisis on groundwater. Poorly designed and non-functioning sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soils, contaminating groundwater and aquifers.
Safely managed sanitation protects groundwater from pollution by human waste. Yet today, 3.6 billion people still live with poorly designed or maintained toilets that pollute their environment and harm their health by exposing them to waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, the second leading cause of death in children under five.
Everyone should have access to a toilet connected to a sanitation system that effectively removes and treats wastewater.
Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 has set a target of 2030 for universal access to toilets. There are still 8 years to go, but efforts must be quadrupled to meet these commitments.
This will be discussed at the UN-Water Groundwater Summit to be held on 07 & 08 December 2022 in Paris.
Two figures illustrate the importance of having effective sanitation systems:
- Over the past 200 years, toilets have added 20 years to human life.
- For every euro invested in water and sanitation, there is a return of 4.30 euros in reduced health care costs.
Every day, OiEau's experts work to ensure that everyone has access to efficient sanitation systems.
Discover OiEau's training courses on wastewater collection and treatment, waste and water services management.
Our projects in the field of "Sanitation"
