Flush toilet

A toilet that uses water to carry human waste through a drain into a sewer or septic system. Its bowl and water seal help contain odors between uses.

Toilet cistern: A tank that stores and releases water for flushing a toilet. It supplies the rapid volume of water that starts a flush.
Plumbing: A system of pipes, fixtures, and fittings that supplies water and removes wastewater from buildings. A flush toilet works only as part of a building’s water and drainage system.
Dual-flush toilet: A toilet with separate flush options for liquid and solid waste, using different water volumes. It reduces water use by matching the flush volume to the waste.
John Harington: An English writer and inventor who described an early water closet in the late sixteenth century. His 1596 design was an influential early precursor to the modern flush toilet.
Cholera: An intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, often spread through contaminated water or food. Safe disposal of feces helps interrupt the waterborne transmission pathways that spread cholera.
Siphon: A flow of liquid over a higher point, driven by pressure differences and gravity. Many toilet designs use siphonic flow to draw bowl contents into the drain.
Sanitation: Measures and systems that protect health by safely managing human waste and environmental hazards. The toilet is one fixture within the broader work of safely containing and treating waste.
Low-flush toilet: A toilet designed to use substantially less water per flush than older conventional models. It applies the flush-toilet principle while limiting demand on water supplies.
Alexander Cumming: A Scottish watchmaker and inventor who patented an improved water closet in 1775. His patent included the S-bend that helped retain a water seal.
Sewage treatment: Processes that remove contaminants from wastewater before discharge or reuse. Flushed waste must be treated before it can safely return to the environment.

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