The “efficient” toilets have proven to be anything but
A Toronto neighbourhood’s decision to install new “efficient” toilets – despite tenants’ protests amid the lingering dangers of COVID-19 – has forced residents into a less-than-desirable plumbing situation.
Residents said that many perfectly functional toilets in several CityPlace buildings were suddenly replaced over the last few months, during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic’s ravages.
In 8 Telegram Mews, the management has been compelling residents to cooperate with “toilet evaluation specialists” who will visit each tenant’s space regularly – seemingly unmindful of self-isolation and social distancing protocols, residents said.
“We don’t mind the idea of having water-efficient toilets, obviously, but being pressured into allowing bad toilets to be installed sucks,” the residents told blogTO. “The privacy perspective of having to go and provide ID and disclose bathroom problems to a security guard to get a basic toilet maintenance equipment is wild.”
The “efficient” toilets have proven to be anything but, however.
“CityPlace condos are having this strange situation where management replaced the toilets with efficient toilets. Whatever type they selected, residents immediately noticed that they got backed up much more frequently,” said another unnamed resident of 8 Telegram Mews. “The condo board then emailed us to let us know that a regular plunger doesn’t work; you have to go to the front desk security person to exchange your ID to get a communal building-wide ‘poozooka’ plunger (can’t buy your own).”
Said plunger is not available through any online merchant as of press time, fuelling speculation that vested interests are largely driving the shift towards the new toilet system.
“The vendor for ‘poozookas’ only sells to building management entities as far as we can tell,” a resident said. “It’s super weird, this toilet limbo we are in. … The communal building-wide plunger in a pandemic is such a trip.”
