Responding to Coronavirus

Why is sanitation important?

Our latest blog post, Reversing Water Shut-Offs Helps Vulnerable Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic, explains the importance of water access to fighting coronaviruses, especially in vulnerable communities across the United States.

To read an overview of the importance of sanitation and hygiene, as well as the communities most vulnerable to this epidemic, check out our blog post, Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Global Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Note that some information reflected in this post may be outdated as of its initial publication date (April 9, 2020).

What can be done in my community?

The following are resources that may be useful for communities seeking to improve sanitation access:

- Public Restrooms and COVID-19: Guidelines for their Reopening and Use: **NEW: JUNE 30, 2020** Provides guidance for opening public restrooms safely to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

- Emergency Handwashing Stations Resource List: a list of resources describing the importance of handwashing, how to construct stations, and training modules

- Visual Displays of Various Handwashing Station Designs: provides an overview of various types of handwashing stations.

Restroom Modification and Redesign for COVID-19: provides some modifications to our Public Toilet Advocacy Toolkit, including considerations for reopening public restrooms

From the Blog

Phlush

March 20, 2020

There’s plenty of toilet paper in the US – so why are people hoarding it?

Almost 150 U.S. companies make toilet paper. Studio Dagdagaz/Shutterstock.com Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University The other day I went into Costco to buy some toilet paper. It came as a small shock when I couldn’t find a single roll. The new coronavirus is inspiring panic buying of a variety of household products such as…

The POOP Project is coming to Portland 2/22/2020!

Straight from New York City, The POOP Project is coming to Portland! How do you break the potty taboo and catalyze creative conversation about sustainable sanitation for the person, planet and world community? The People’s Own Organic Power (POOP) Project has been showing us how, using a brilliant combination of theater,…

A Report from the Rich Earth Summit

PHLUSH President Hayley Joyell Smith, currently a PhD student at the University of Georgia, reports on the Rich Earth Summit held at the University of Michigan, November 7-8, 2019. She was among the experts – entrepreneurs, engineers, farmers, regulators, researchers and practitioners – who explored the theme “Policy, Regulation, and…