THE humble toot has come a long way from the backyard outhouse of the recent past.
Even the white porcelain models of the 70s (when sewerage finally came to western Sydney) seem antiquated compared to the high tech models on the market.
These days designs include concealed cisterns (placed in a wall cavity, roof space or under a vanity benchtop); wall-faced (the back of the pan sits flush against the wall); close coupled (the cistern and pan are a single unit); and connector or linked (the cistern and pan are linked by a flush pipe).
Greywater treatment systems can be used to store, treat and disinfect water from washing machines, showers and baths for use on the garden, toilet flushing and in the laundry.
There is even a touchless toilet that flushes when a hand is waved over a sensor on top of the tank.
The Geberit Sigma80 is a black or metal-coated glass plate with two light fields and nothing more.
It is a dual-flush system, but instead of two buttons of different sizes, the plate has two light fields of different sizes.
The flush is triggered by a brief wave in front of the large or small light field.
Householders can program the system to be lit permanently or only when the plate’s sensor technology detects that the toilet is in use.
The light can also be set in one of five colours.
More inspiration on Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/yourhomefairfax/bathrooms/
History of the toilet
■ The first recorded flushing water closet is said to have been built on Crete more than 2800 years ago.
■ A toilet was discovered in the tomb of a Chinese king of the Western Han Dynasty dating back to 206BC.
■ The ancient Romans had a system of sewers. They built simple outhouses over the running waters of the sewers that poured into the Tiber River
■ Chamber pots were used during the middle ages and the contents thrown away (often out the window).
■ Sir John Harrington invented and built a flush toilet for his godmother Queen Elizabeth I in 1596.
■ The first patent for the flushing toilet was issued to Alexander Cummings in 1775.
■ During the 1800s, people realized that poor sanitary conditions caused diseases. Having toilets and sewer systems that could control human waste became a priority for lawmakers, medical experts, inventors, and the general public.
What does the future hold for the loo?
Delhi recently hosted the second Reinvent the Toilet Fair, which showcased technology developed in response to a challenge by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create a low-cost toilet that sanitised waste and used minimal water and electricity.
The prototypes had to look at human waste as a potential resource for electricity, fuel and fertiliser.
The results included:
■ A mini power plant that powered thousands of homes using the waste of a small city.
■ A urine-powered fuel cell that could charge a mobile phone overnight.
■ A system that concentrated solar power into fibre optic cables. The concentrated heat incinerated waste and created a charcoal-like substance used for fertiliser or cooking fuel.
■ A collapsible toilet for use in disaster zones, slums or festivals.
