They are part of the Parisian landscape: the 435 public toilets managed by the delegatee JCDecaux, out of the 750 free toilets and urinals in the city of Paris, are being replaced by a new model, presented this Wednesday, May 15 by elected officials led by the first deputy Emmanuel Grégoire. Currently being deployed since the start of the year, these new toilets are being installed as a priority in areas which will be very busy during the Olympic Games. The objective is to replace 150 by the beginning of July.
The silhouette of this new model, although more modern, does not contrast with that to which Parisians are accustomed. It was a question of “promoting the identification of the service by users and guaranteeing its integration into the Parisian landscapes”, explains JCDecaux, which once again called on the designer Patrick Jouin, designer of the old “sanisettes”.
Always free, these toilets will have a cabin with WC and sink, fully cleaned and disinfected between each user. This washing time, during which the cabin is inaccessible, will also be divided by three and will only last 30 seconds. Enough to avoid the queues that sometimes form in front of the toilets. They will all have a water fountain accessible from outside and a soap dispenser. Finally, a urinal will be added at the rear, allowing two people to relieve themselves at the same time.
Water consumption will be reduced by almost 70%, promises the Paris town hall, and that of electricity by 30%. Still in this desire to green the environmental impact of these toilets, no more vans for the agents responsible for maintenance who will now travel by cargo bike.
Replacing an old toilet with a new one takes around four to six weeks, according to the town hall, which specifies that the deployment will take until May 2025. As for the current models, still in working order, they will be renovated by JCDecaux and “returned to service as part of future public contracts” in other cities, in France or abroad.