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Numbers in the News: Toilets
November 19 is World Toilet Day. The day is meant to raise awareness about the importance of sanitation. Check out these facts and figures about toilets.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
5,000 YEARS
The age of the oldest known toilets, simple pits lined with ceramic tubes found in ancient Mesopotamian ruins.
1.6 GALLONS
The amount of water used per flush of a modern standard toilet.
$23 MILLION
How much it cost to create a toilet that worked in low gravity on the International Space Station.
3.6 BILLION
The estimated number of people who don’t have access to flush toilets.
1 IN 3
As many as 1 in 3 schools around the world do not have adequate toilets.
THINK ABOUT IT: Why is it important for people to have access to proper sanitation?
SOURCES: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTORS, UNICEF, NASA, EPA, NATURE (2016)