Making a Stink About Public Restrooms
It’s not something most of us like to think about…but when public restrooms are tough to come by, nature still will call. That can have unfortunate consequences, impacting everything from our enjoyment of public spaces, to our water quality, to our sense of human decency.
The importance of restroom access is so significant that, in 2010, the United Nations passed a resolution declaring access to water and sanitation to be human rights. A 2017 Human Rights Watch report notes that “the manner in which a person is able to manage bodily functions of urination, defecation, and menstruation is at the core of human dignity” and looks at barriers to access to sanitation in a variety of settings around the world, including lack of resources, discrimination, corruption, and mismanagement.
Depending on where you look, public restrooms may be easier or harder to find. According to the Public Toilet Index (yes, there’s a public toilet index) some cities, states, and countries have vastly more restroom access than others. Locally, we have 10 public toilets per 100K people in Reno and 7 per 100K in Nevada. While this is comparable to other US locales (averaging 8 public restrooms per 100K), it pales in comparison to Iceland (56), Switzerland (46), New Zealand (45) and most other countries with resources comparable to the US. It simply isn’t enough.
For more detailed information about public restrooms along the Truckee River Corridor, click here to visit our amenities map.
Introducing: The Portland Loo
The Portland Loos are making a difference. You may recognize the Portland Loo as the restroom-solution the One Truckee River coalition helped install along the Truckee River with our partners at Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Truckee River Fund, Washoe County Parks and Open Space, Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, Nevada Division of State Parks, City of Reno, and Renown Health. Today, there’s three facilities available downtown – in Reno City Plaza, Brodhead Memorial Park, and John Champion Park.
We chose the Portland Loo for Reno because it’s sturdy, safe, incorporates several features to discourage undesirable use, and has significantly lower installation and operational costs than traditional park restroom buildings. Compared to Porta-potties, these Portland Loos are cleaner, better looking, and better smelling. As we work to make the Truckee River corridor a more accessible space for everyone in our community to enjoy, having permanent restrooms is critical.
The Portland Loo’s Success
Portland Loos are becoming popular – not only in Reno and Portland, but in cities across the country. From Boise, ID to Charleston, SC and from San Antonio, TX to Grand Rapids, MI, many cities have come to the same conclusion. That these units are the best fit for their needs. They’re becoming a popular solution in a variety of spaces, ranging from a busy intersection near Harvard’s campus to a suite of three Loos in a Vancouver park.
Let’s take a closer look at Reno’s Portland Loos. Our city installed its first Loo in 2020, near Broadhead Park. For a year, including before and after installation of this Loo, we studied its outcome on human waste at the park and along the riverbank nearby. By the fall of 2021, we saw a 73% decrease in human waste at the park and surrounding areas, compared to the same 3-month period in the previous year, before the Loo was installed.
Additionally, we’re monitoring flush counts for all 3 facilities, which show consistent use throughout the year and significantly higher traffic during the summer, with well over 1,000 flushes per month per facility throughout the warmer half of the year. Keeping human waste out of our public environment has significant impacts on both protecting the Truckee River’s water quality (the region’s main drinking water source) and our community’s ability to enjoy recreating in and along the river.
keeping things clean downtown
Reno’s three Loo facilities were purchased by the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) using funding from Washoe County. Then, they were placed along the Truckee River through an inter-local agreement with TMWA and the City of Reno, filling needs identified in city and regional planning. These restrooms cost $205,000-$315,000 each, which is comparable to other public restroom installations across the US.
To maintain the Loos, TMWA contracts out maintenance to One Truckee River, who’s working with the Reno Initiative For Shelter and Equality (RISE) to provide service. We’ve hired “Reno,” a local resident, to clean the facilities, restock toilet paper and soap, and be the first to recognize when repairs are needed. Reno, unhoused along the Truckee River in the past, is now housed with the income he receives from the position. He tells us, “I feel blessed and fortunate that I have a job, an apartment, and am able to stand on my own two feet and be an example for other folks.”
Outside of his work maintaining the Loos, Reno works for RISE as a liaison, helping people get their IDs and social security cards and connecting them with access to housing. He also writes short stories and poems – over 450 in total – and is working towards publishing his book of his stories, “From the Waters of Reno.” He already has stories displayed in courthouses in Reno and Tahoe and had a mini-book of stories shared at Burning Man. The biggest changes in his life have come, he notes, by having a determined mind, wanting to have a normal life, and having work opportunities. “I’m thankful to be a part of something that’s positive,’ he shares.
Grand opening day of the Portland Loo at John Champion Park in 2023, Credit 2News Nevada
The New Reno City Plaza Loo
Located at the Reno City Plaza, next to the Whale, Believe Sign, and downtown skatepark, One Truckee River expects our newest Portland Loo to receive the highest traffic and have the most recognizable impact. Installed in June 2024, it’s certainly the most visible.
When we paid the Loo a visit, we spoke with James from Sun Valley, who told us “It’s great to have a place to relieve yourself downtown. Especially with so many kids using the new skatepark, this is really important.” Next, we talked to Suzanne, who explained how, over the years, it’s become increasingly difficult to find nearby businesses that will allow you to use their restrooms. A third local resident noted that, just as important as the toilets themselves is the access to potable drinking water provided by these new units. Each Loo has a water spigot on the outside, offering yet another much-needed resource.
Amenities for Our City’s Future
In creating the City of Reno Truckee River Vision Plan this past summer, 769 members of our community were surveyed: “What amenities are essential for a thriving riverfront community?” The top answer? 89% said (page 5) “parks and open space” were extremely important. When asked what keeps them from using the river currently, the top three responses were 1) cleanliness and aesthetics, 2) safety concerns, and 3) lack of trail connectivity. In this same Vision Plan, “Decrease public health hazards along the river by increasing restroom facilities” (p 176) was recognized as a key theme community members hoped to see addressed.
The Truckee River Community Advisory Team (TRCAT) took a hyper-local approach, surveying 157 community members who live and work along the Truckee River Corridor east of Downtown Reno. Here, they found that most residents viewed the river as a valuable asset they wished to see more investment in and care for. Among the improvements they wanted to see were public restrooms (53%), benches (56%), trash cans (53%), and lighting (53%).
The Loos are actively addressing these community concerns. Facilities in Reno City Plaza, Brodhead Memorial Park, and John Champion Park fit into our region’s broader efforts to increase “desired use” and safety in these key areas. They’re helping us to celebrate recreation along the Truckee River, protect our local waterway, and make our open spaces more accessible – for everyone. At the same time, they’re increasing access to basic sanitization in our community, both a human right and a critical step in protecting the gem of our region, the Truckee River.