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Volume 4
Chapter 10 Water Or Waterless Closet
10.1. A house meets the tolerable standard if it has a water or waterless closet available for the exclusive use of the occupants of the house and suitably located within the house.
Introduction
10.2. This element of the tolerable standard aims to ensure that every house in Scotland has an inside toilet that is not shared with any other house. It is important that the occupants of the house can access the toilet safely and that there is a wash-hand basin close by.
10.3. While this element of the tolerable standard is one of the more straightforward to assess, it requires the assessor to make sensible judgements on what is tolerable in each case. This is particularly important when looking at safe access and usable space. This chapter will provide assessors with advice on the main issues they need to consider.
Legislation
10.4. The tolerable standard has always included the requirement for there to be a water closet inside the house. However, the definition was expanded in 2003 to include "waterless closet". The term was included in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 to confirm its place in parliamentary legislation.
Definitions
10.5. The tolerable standard refers to both water and waterless closets:
10.6. Water closet: A water closet is a traditional flushing toilet. This type of toilet has a bowl at the base and is normally connected to a cistern at the top. The bowl is attached to an appropriate drainage pipe that takes the waste to a public or private sewerage system.
10.7. Waterless closet: A waterless closet is a toilet sanitation system that does not need any water to function. A waterless closet operates by removing the water content from human waste and produces a dry, odourless by-product. Toilets of this type do not connect to public or private sewerage disposal systems and the dry waste is normally collected in bags and manually removed by the occupier.
10.8. Suitable location: The tolerable standard states that the water closet should be suitably located within the house. Assessors will need to think about the following factors when considering the location of the water closet:
- the position of the water closet within the house;
- the amount of activity space around the water closet; and
- the proximity of hand-washing facilities to the water closet.
10.9. The term 'water closet' is often used interchangeably with toilet, in reference to the appliance itself and the enclosed space in which the appliance is located. For the purpose of this guidance, this chapter will use the abbreviation WC, and this should be taken by assessors to mean a water or waterless closet appliance only.
10.10. The next part of this chapter gives advice for assessors on making judgements on this element of the tolerable standard.
Making the assessment
10.11. The flow-chart below will help guide an assessor through the process of determining whether the house has a WC that meets the tolerable standard:
10.12. An assessor should consider the following information when thinking about each of these questions:
Is there a WC inside the house?
10.13. The assessor should look to identify a functional WC inside the main living part of the house that the occupants can access without going outside. If the house does not have an inside WC, it is below tolerable standard. In most situations, for houses with more than one WC, the assessor need only identify one that meets the tolerable standard.
10.14. In the case of water closets, the WC must be connected to an effective system for drainage and disposal of foul water. Assessors should refer to the chapter on surface and foul water drainage.
Can the WC be accessed safely and conveniently?
10.15. The WC should be located in such a position within the house that allows all occupants and visitors safe and convenient access to it. If the only WC is positioned mid-flight off stairs, requiring the user to step from and onto a split-level surface, the house is below tolerable standard. Also, if the WC is located immediately next to a kitchen area, is not separated by a doorway, or does not have a hash-hand basin suitably located, the house is below tolerable standard.
10.16. In some cases, the only WC in the house will be located off a bedroom and can only be accessed by walking through the bedroom. In houses with only one bedroom, this type of arrangement will be satisfactory. However, a house with more than one bedroom must have at least one WC that occupants and visitors can access without going through a bedroom, otherwise it is below tolerable standard.
10.17. Waterless closets remain quite rare in Scotland and assessors may not be familiar with this type of appliance. An assessor should make a sensible judgement on whether the waterless system appears to be of a safe and hygienic design. If he/she considers the waterless closet poses a danger to the health of the user, the house is below tolerable standard.
Is there adequate space around the WC?
10.18. A WC should have sufficient room around it to allow a non disabled occupier to use it comfortably. An assessor will need to make a judgement on the size of the space in which the WC is located and he/she should consider the height of the ceiling, the space directly in front of it, and how easily users can access it. If the assessor believes that the lack of space prevents the occupants from comfortably using the WC, the house is below tolerable standard.
Is there a wash-hand basin next to the WC?
10.19. An assessor should check that there is a wash-hand basin available close to the WC (go to chapter on bath, shower & wash-hand basin for guidance on how to assess the wash-hand basin). If the wash-hand basin is not located immediately next to the WC, then it should be in the space outside the enclosed space containing the WC, such as in the hallway. However, a kitchen sink, normally used in the preparation of food, is not a satisfactory wash-hand basin for this purpose. A house that does not have a wash-hand basin located close to the WC is below tolerable standard.
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