In almost every town in the United Kingdom public urinals are now erected, although it is not often that good watercloset accommodation is provided, except at hotels and railway stations, over which the local authority have no jurisdiction; or perhaps if they do provide any accommodation of this description it is only in connection with the public parks or in the markets, museums, &c.
The clause of the Public Health Act which empowers an urban authority to spend money out of the district rates for this purpose is as follows:
“Any urban authority may if they think fit provide and maintain in proper and convenient situations, urinals, waterclosets, earthclosets, privies and ashpits and other similar conveniences for public accommodation” (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 39).
It is not my intention to enter into the merits or otherwise of the many descriptions of urinals and latrines that have been brought to the notice from time to time of every town surveyor by enterprising manufacturers and patentees, but only to give a few suggestions upon the subject.
Public urinals ought to be erected by the urban authority as a matter of convenience to the peripatetic portion of any community, and also to prevent nuisances being committed in improper places.
In selecting sites for urinals the town surveyor must take care that after erection they shall not be offensive or a nuisance to any persons living in the vicinity, and that they shall be so placed that although they may be easily found, the persons using them shall be effectually screened.[196]
Urinals are better constructed of iron rather than of brickwork or more solid workmanship, in order that they can be readily removed. It is surprising what an uproar is sometimes raised in a neighbourhood by the erection of a urinal; this clamour occasionally has so much effect upon the urban authority that they order the removal of the urinal, although it may not have been erected many days, and if it has been substantially built a considerable waste of the public money is thus involved.
Where a urinal is constructed with basins, as by the following plan, the basins may be of iron or good stone ware or similar construction, these being always kept full of water which is constantly although slowly changing.
Stall urinals may be some modification of the following plan, and be constructed of iron with slate partitions, or the partitions may be of iron covered with plate glass where soiled, the stalls should not be less than 24 in. in the clear, and water must be kept constantly flowing over the soiled portion either from a perforated pipe or a spreader.[197] A very excellent arrangement is to have a trench or trough cut at the foot of the stall for the whole length of the urinal, which is kept constantly full of water and occasionally flushed, thus avoiding nuisance in a very satisfactory manner.