Public Restrooms in San Diego: A regional assessment.

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Toilets and handwashing facilities are crucial for preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as diarrhea, hepatitis A, and shigellosis that are spread through fecal-oral contact, as well as SARS-CoV-2. From runners and touriststo commuters, delivery drivers, families with small children, and people experiencing homelessness, public restrooms offer safe and necessary spaces to address basic bodily functions. The absence of public restrooms not only harms our collective public health, but also has direct and specific impacts on many groups of people. San Diego has a long and well-documented history of insufficient public restroom facilities based on our population’s needs, stretching back at least two decades. The consequences of this have been dire. Lack of adequate sanitation has repeatedly been linked to infectious disease outbreaks in our region including hepatitis A and shigellosis. The Project for Sanitation Justice is working to help address this issue through the identification and visualization of existing public restroom facilities to drive action towards more just and equitable decision-making around public restrooms in San Diego County.