Waste not... Ah want not???

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Originally Posted by nikvoodoo

With the small amount of people alive that would use toilets the streets aren't going to be over flowing anytime soon. I will definitely agree that the system is likely to fail pretty quickly. I am also considering how deep underground sewage lines are in NYC and how much "empty" space is below them because of subways. I always felt that if NYC were to be rapidly depopulated in a similar manner, the sewer pipes would break and then fill up the subway system. So that's why I think the streets wouldn't over flow.

I honestly don't know what the LA underground is like. I assume there's some manner of subway system yes? Correct me if I'm wrong, I've never gone further west than Arizona.

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Yes, the Metro runs under downtown LA.

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Originally Posted by lectio

Come to think of it, nobody's had a dental problem yet, either. But what do you do when you've got a toothache or a broken tooth...and no dentist?

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Well you better find yourself a pair of pliers or if it comes down to it...get yourself to a hockey pro shop and get a figure skate and go full on Cast Away on your face. Toothache is easy to cure, infections in the mouth can spread to the sinuses and then into your brain and kill you. That would be a kick in the teeth if you pardon the expression.

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Originally Posted by lectio

With the waste issue, I suspect tower survivors would probably burn the solid waste and use sewers for liquid. They must surely be using a common latrine by now, since water can't be wasted to clear a toilet.

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Wouldn't that just spread the smell a further distance?? Imagine when someone in your neighborhood is grilling steaks, the entire community can smell it and the mouths start watering. Same principal, just stinkier.

Major systems should have a problem. If they have gravity fed systems then there would be no problems on the street side. I am happy with the septic tank I have after this thread. We have gravity fed water too so no worries about pumps going out without power. Though I am curious if the power here would fail as it comes from a small dam. Eventually with no workers, fuses and/or broken lines would stop the flow but I think we could fair well for some time.
Teeth

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Originally Posted by They call me Revolver

The sewer system would still work. You can still flush the toilet when the power and water goes out. :) I just wouldn't want to go to the waste treatment plant.

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I dunno I didnt think you could use the water pipes for a toilet when the water went out.

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Originally Posted by Rune

I dunno I didnt think you could use the water pipes for a toilet when the water went out.

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Its true. Back in 91 the entire city of Rochester, NY lost power and water for a week from an ice storm. and since this was before bottled water was standard issue, we would take buckets of snow from outside inside , and melt it for our needs. Including filling the toilet tank. we'd flush it twice a day and plug our nose the rest of the time.

EDIT: we also had to walk to school up hill both ways back then.

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Originally Posted by nikvoodoo

EDIT: we also had to walk to school up hill both ways back then.

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And the wind was always blowing in your faces, where ever you went?

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Originally Posted by Luna Guardian

And the wind was always blowing in your faces, where ever you went?

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Well of course. And we had no shoes. And we had to carry our siblings on our backs, unless they were sick and then we'd have to carry donkeys just so we wouldn't get to school too early.

Man, life was TOUGh when you were in school. Had fire been invented yet?

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Originally Posted by Luna Guardian

Man, life was TOUGh when you were in school. Had fire been invented yet?

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It was invented, but we hadn't figured out that it burned you yet. My mother always missed the hair on the left side of her head...