Public Toilet Named "Perfumed Room"
Toilets that emit fragrance when flushed with foam
These toilets require a fee for usage
Citizens say, "This name sounds a bit awkward"
Netizens worry, "Charging may keep citizens away"
When it comes to public toilets, many people's impressions are of dirtiness, disorder, and overwhelming unpleasant odors. However, the newly introduced eco-friendly public toilet in Erqi District might change people’s perceptions.
Recently, an eco-friendly public toilet installed on Xinghua Street has caught the attention of readers. Netizens have been inviting each other on Weibo to experience the so-called "Perfumed Room."
Yesterday, I visited this "Perfumed Room"-style public toilet and learned about its operational model.
Report by Wang Yongsen, with text and photos for the Evening News.
The eco-friendly public toilet is called "Perfumed Room."
This public toilet is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Hanghai Road and Xinghua Street, covering an area of about 10 square meters, and it has not yet officially started operations.
Standing about 4 meters tall, it features a transparent fiberglass roof, giving it a simple yet elegant structure.
Passersby often point and discuss the name "Perfumed Room." They say that "Perfumed Room" at first glance makes people more likely think of a kitchen.
"The name sounds a bit awkward, but it might mean using it conveniently without smelling bad odors," citizens speculated that there must be something special about the equipment in this public toilet.
However, the management room of the public toilet was tightly locked, showing only cleaning supplies produced by a manufacturer from Nanjing.
Behind the public toilet, I noticed a section of water pipe extending from the restroom, indicating that it hasn’t yet connected to an appropriate external water source.
The liquid used to flush the toilet can emit fragrance.
Staff members from the Erqi District Urban Management Bureau said that constructing fixed public toilets is constrained by various factors, so they could only add eco-friendly public toilets on some sections of roads.
Erqi District plans to build 22 public toilets this year. Seven eco-friendly public toilets have already been installed, with a total value of over 500,000 yuan. The subsequent bidding process will include seven solar-powered public toilets worth approximately 1 million yuan.
The Perfumed Public Toilet is a foam-sealed eco-friendly toilet. When in use, it automatically generates foam with electricity to prevent odors from spreading. However, the operation of this kind of toilet still depends on water and electricity supply.
"After flushing the waste, a lot of foam will appear. This foam contains a deodorant, which effectively isolates unpleasant smells," the staff explained. The naming of the public toilet may be related to the scented foam.
Due to nearby construction, the water and electricity issues for this particular Perfumed Public Toilet have not been resolved, making it difficult to put into operation soon. However, Perfumed Public Toilets near the Medical College, Qinlao Street, and Liberation Road Overpass have already begun operations.
The Perfumed Public Toilet does not differentiate between men and women but requires a fee to cover daily water and electricity maintenance costs. In other words, the Perfumed Public Toilet is not free; users need to pay to experience it.
Citizens and netizens question the charging "Perfumed Room"
"According to the original收费标准for eco-friendly public toilets, the cost of using the Perfumed Public Toilet should also be 50 cents. The Urban Management Bureau needs to hire temporary workers to maintain the normal operation of the public toilet, costing around 10,000 yuan per year," a staff member of the Erqi District Urban Management Bureau said.
Mr. Wang, a citizen, said: "I hope relevant departments can continue to provide free public toilets. Charging may place this new type of public toilet in an awkward position." He believed that setting up public toilets is meant to provide basic convenience for the general public, and charging may deter citizens from using them.
The fact that the Perfumed Public Toilet is not free disappoints netizens who wish to experience and use this new type of public toilet. They believe that Zhengzhou's free public toilets lead the nation, and they hope eco-friendly public toilets can also be freely available to citizens.
Netizen "Firm Belief" said that after Zhengzhou implemented free public toilets, previously paid eco-friendly public toilets were rarely used, and some eco-friendly public toilets were almost left unattended and unmaintained.
In response to netizens' suggestions, staff members of the Erqi District Urban Management Bureau stated that the document regarding charging for eco-friendly public toilets has not been abolished, and the situation can be reported to higher-level departments.
"If the charges stop, the normal operation of the Perfumed Public Toilet would require government funding support," this staff member said. Only with government financial backing can citizens possibly use this new type of public toilet.