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Flushing Away an Enormous Problem

In one major city, there’s a massive sewage problem that is blocking infrastructure and creating a public health hazard. The solution? A coordinated, synchronized, city-wide toilet flush.

The metropolis is the city of Harare, Zimbabwe, home to millions of people and millions of gallons of unprocessed waste. A story from the Associated Press explains:

City authorities in Zimbabwe’s second largest city said Saturday they were appealing to home owners to flush their toilets at a specified time as a way to unblock sewers after days of severe water rationing.

Bulawayo City Council has asked its more than 1 million residents to flush their toilets simultaneously at 7:30 p.m. when water supplies are restored. City officials say “synchronized flushing” is needed to clear waste that would have accumulated in sanitary facilities which will have been affected by days of water outages.

Photo © geo.fr

Zimbabwe has had many struggles in recent years. A synchronized toilet flush might seem relatively minor compared to hyperinflation, international sanctions, and general instability. The US State department warns that “The political, social, economic, and security situations in Zimbabwe are unpredictable and could deteriorate quickly without warning. Political harassment and intimidation by members of Zimbabwe’s security forces is pervasive and security forces may suppress dissent by whatever means deemed necessary.”

But, a synchronized flush may be exactly what the country’s sewage system needs. It also shows a willingness among individual to cooperate and to work together to improve infrastructure. We usually consider a trip to the bathroom to be something done in private. It’s either a normal biological function or a result of recent failures in diet or health.

For the residents of Harare, however, a combined bathroom trip is hoped to help move the city and the country one more step forward. It’s an admission that the government needs the people as much as the people need the government. It’s a sign, in it’s own curious way, that failure is the secret to success.

If you’re in the area, listen carefully around 7:30PM.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.