Most public toilets in Indonesia are fertile breeding grounds for disease-causing germs and bacteria, a study says.
Indonesian Toilet Association chairwoman Naning Adiwoso said that based on the association’s latest study, 62 percent of toilet floors were wet, dirty and moist, the perfect home for contagious bacteria and micro-organisms.
“The conditions in most public toilets especially in bus and train terminals and traditional markets is hygienically poor,” Adiwoso said.
To make things worse, people are generally ignorant about bathroom habits and hygiene standards.
“Toilet users often throw garbage such as paper towels on the floor and rarely flush the toilet,” she said.
The need for public toilets is growing with increased mobility. Physical activity means people need to pass 100 and 200 grams of urine six to eight times a day.
“The change in climate patterns also affects people’s toilet habits,” she said.
Since it was established five years ago, the association has launched clean and healthy public toilet campaigns across Indonesia.
Bali is its main target. “As an international tourist destination, Bali could potentially become the epicenter for any disease.
“Airport toilets are our main concerns as they reflect the habits of our nation.”
Bali could become the entry point for the spread of diseases previously undetected in Indonesia,” Adiwoso said.
The association says it has been working closely with airport authorities to build clean and healthy toilets in accordance with World Toilet International standards.
“Airport toilets are our main concerns as they reflect the habits of our nation,” she said.
Clean and hygienic toilets may become a promotional tool for our tourism industry, Adiwoso said. In countries such as Singapore, clean toilet campaigns have been around for years.
Bali Museums Association head Nyoman Gunarsa admitted that public toilets in many tourist destinations, including museums, were far below required sanitation standards.
Given the national tourism theme of Museum Year 2010, local museum authorities should improve their facilities, including public toilets, Gunarsa said.
Adiwoso said that compared to other provinces in Indonesia, Bali fared much better in terms of water quality.
In Java, for example, most houses have their own septic tanks, many of which are poorly constructed.
Leaking septic tanks contaminate ground water with hazardous bacteria such as E-coli, she said.
