• Census reveals 98% toilet access as experts warn of residual public health risks

Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction, and Water Supply T.B. Sarath says that Sri Lanka expects to resolve at least 95% of the country’s remaining sanitation issue by the end of next year, citing a combination of new housing allocations and rural sanitation development programmes under the Clean Sri Lanka project.

“Our ministry’s ongoing housing initiative directly targets the most vulnerable households identified in the new census,” he told The Sunday Morning.

“Each new housing unit includes a hygienic, in-built toilet, ensuring that families who lived in poverty and without proper toilet access may no longer have to live under such circumstances. With over 6,000 houses ready by the end of 2025 and more houses planned for 2026, we are confident that this effort will eliminate the problem by the end of next year. 

“While we cannot guarantee the elimination of the entire problem, we can address at least the vast majority of the open defaecation cases in the country. At least 95% of the problem will be resolved,” Sarath stressed.

Census findings

The Deputy Minister’s comments come in response to the 2024 Census of Population and Housing, which reported that 98% of Sri Lankan households now had access to toilet facilities. The achievement marks a near-complete victory in the country’s decades-long campaign for universal sanitation, positioning Sri Lanka as one of South Asia’s best performers in this sector.

However, the report also identifies a gap: 0.22% of households or around 13,326 families still practise open defaecation, meaning they either lack access to a toilet or choose not to use one. The Monaragala District recorded the highest proportion of such households at 0.85%, followed by isolated pockets in other rural and estate regions.

Deputy Minister Sarath said that these figures underscored the need to focus on poverty-linked sanitation gaps. 

“This problem is concentrated among the poorest families, mainly in rural regions rather than cities. We are integrating sanitation into every new housing programme, because poverty and inadequate sanitation are deeply connected. Once these housing allocations are complete, we expect the open defaecation issue to be reduced to a negligible level,” he said.

The public health lens

While some would emphasise the success story, public health experts warn that even small pockets of inadequate sanitation can have a disproportionately large impact on community health. Ministry of Health Epidemiology Unit Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said the residual 0.22% of families practising open defaecation still presented a significant hazard.

“Even a single community practising open defaecation can contaminate entire water systems,” he explained. “When faeces are exposed to the environment, they become a source of disease transmission through two pathways: flies and water runoff. 

“Flies land on the waste, pick up pathogens, and then transfer them to food. When it rains, surface runoff carries faecal matter into streams and wells. This contamination can lead to outbreaks of diarrhoea, hepatitis A, or typhoid.”

Shared and public facilities

Beyond the issue of open defaecation, the census highlights another challenge, which is the reliance on shared and communal toilets. Approximately 5.8% of households share toilets with other families, while 0.2% depend on public toilets.

This reliance, though far smaller in scale, presents new social and public health dimensions. According to Dr. Liyanapathirana, shared facilities can become “amplifiers” of infection if hygiene practices and cleaning standards are inadequate.

“The risk stems from what we call the faecal-oral route,” he said. “If a person carrying a diarrhoeal infection uses a shared toilet, pathogens can remain on surfaces such as taps, handles, or doorknobs. When the next person touches those surfaces and eats without washing hands properly, the infection spreads. Essentially, a shared, poorly maintained toilet becomes a transmission hub within a community.”

He noted that these conditions were particularly concerning in densely populated urban or estate housing, where multiple families lived in confined quarters. “The problem is not sharing itself but rather the absence of proper cleaning, ventilation, and water supply. In urban slums or estate line rooms, once one child falls ill, the infection can spread rapidly,” he said.

Dr. Liyanapathirana added that poor toilet design also contributed to risks. “If a pit latrine or septic tank is built too close to a well, groundwater contamination occurs. There should be at least a 50-foot separation to prevent leakage of faecal matter into drinking water sources. This guideline is often ignored in informal settlements.”

The Colombo perspective

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), which manages the highest number of public toilets in the country, faces a distinct set of challenges. 

CMC Municipal Commissioner Palitha Nanayakkara acknowledged that while Colombo’s open defaecation rate was extremely low, the city recorded the highest percentage of families relying on common or public toilets, which was approximately 0.7% of households.

“The CMC recognises the importance of maintaining public facilities in high-traffic commercial and residential areas,” he said. “Most public toilets in the city are operated under tender by private organisations, some in partnership with the Urban Development Authority. These entities maintain high standards, and we have not received formal complaints regarding their condition.”

However, Nanayakkara admitted that older community-based toilets, particularly in low-income areas, had become dilapidated. “We are aware of several underutilised and decaying structures. Often, families that once relied on these facilities now have private toilets, and the older buildings become neglected or misused. Our engineering division is collecting data to identify obsolete structures for authorised demolition as part of a modernisation programme,” he said.

The CMC’s goal, he explained, was not to remove facilities but to redirect resources towards constructing new, well-managed ones in the areas of greatest need. “We will align the census findings with our registry of sanitation infrastructure and investigate every communal and public facility within the CMC’s jurisdiction,” Nanayakkara stated. 

“We encourage residents to file complaints about unusable toilets. The CMC, together with the Clean Sri Lanka initiative, will deploy teams to ensure every identified issue is resolved by next year.”

The hidden risks behind the numbers

Dr. Liyanapathirana emphasised that the distinction between ‘access’ and ‘safe use’ was critical. “The census measures access, but public health measures hygiene. A toilet that exists but is unhygienic or unused due to poor maintenance still contributes to disease burden,” he said.

He warned that inadequate cleaning of shared toilets could foster fomite transmission, where infectious material lingered on inanimate surfaces. “Fomites like door handles, flush buttons, or water taps become reservoirs of bacteria or viruses. Without strict cleaning schedules and good handwashing habits, even shared facilities can compromise community health,” he explained.

When asked about the risks posed by unclean toilets, he pointed to vector transmission. “Exposed faeces attract flies, which carry pathogens onto food. Combined with poor ventilation, it creates ideal conditions for bacterial persistence. The challenge is not only infrastructure but daily behaviour. Soap use, flushing discipline, and regular cleaning make the difference between a safe and unsafe toilet,” he said.

The 2024 census data underscores Sri Lanka’s transition from building basic access to addressing sanitation equity. With 92.15% of households now enjoying exclusive toilet access, the country’s sanitation landscape has transformed from one of scarcity to one of near-complete coverage.

Deputy Minister Sarath said that the Government’s focus had now shifted towards ensuring equitable standards across all communities. “Access alone is not enough. Every family deserves a clean, private, and functional facility. Our upcoming programmes will prioritise households that still share toilets or depend on communal ones,” he said.

The ministry has also pledged to collaborate with local councils and development partners to upgrade sanitation infrastructure in high-density areas. “We are coordinating with the Colombo Municipal Council and other urban authorities to ensure that our efforts reach both rural and city populations. By 2026, we expect Sri Lanka to achieve not only full toilet access but equitable sanitation standards nationwide as well,” Sarath said.