The following article appeared in the September 24 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
Before two pissoir units were installed downtown, many questioned whether they would get used at all.
That question appears to have been answered about 6,000 times.
In the first three weeks since the pissoirs were installed – on Macdonell and Carden streets – workers have pumped about 2,400 litres of urine from their collection tanks.
“We estimate that represents about 6,000 users,” operations director Derek McCaughan said Wednesday. “It’s pretty significant that they’re being used to that degree.
“The question about whether people would use them has been put to rest now with those kinds of numbers.”
Coun. Ian Findlay, who represents council on the Downtown Night Life Task Force and lobbied for the pissoirs, was surprised by the early results.
“I’m blown away by these numbers,” Findlay said. “This far exceeds any of my expectations.”
Findlay spoke recently to officials in Edmonton, where the units have been in place for some time. There, officials report, they collect about 500 litres per week from their three pissoir units, “and we’re well above that with only two units.”
The units will be in place until the end of October, when the pilot project will be analyzed.
Findlay said many of the “deposits” so far might have been made out of novelty rather than pressing need, adding if this is true it will become apparent during the next few weeks.
“Clearly there is a demand,” the councillor said, adding that while urination in alleys and storefronts is also still taking place, “I think it’s safe to say we’re creating a better environment than what was down there before.”
McCaughan said while there have been a couple of reports of vandalism—primarily involving damage to the privacy screening—“for the most part it seems to be going very well.”
Pissoirs are not the best solution to the public urination problem, Findlay said, as they can not accommodate women or disabled people. That solution is yet to be found.
“Aesthetics doesn’t seem to be an issue,” the councillor laughed, “because I don’t know if we could have made them any uglier than they are and obviously people are comfortable using them.”