Google loses heated bidet toilets for employees | Hacker News Reader

Google loses heated bidet toilets for employees

nypost.com

33 pointssnicker723 comments

> removing Toto-brand bidet seats from its California offices after discovering they were out of compliance with the state’s code for commercial buildings.

Coming soon, RTO Googlers lobbying for building code changes. Let's hope any demonstrations are not, uhm, too demonstrative.

> “Many of our buildings are migrating to recycled water systems which cannot support bidets,” he wrote.

Yeah, no. I wouldn't want unsanitized water sprayed on my ass.

Non-potable doesn't mean it's totally unsanitized. I'd be pretty surprised if this water was truly unsafe for ass spraying.

Sure, but it's also not monitored or tested. Its safety can vary from day to day.

You might be comfortable with that risk, but exposing thousands of employees to that risk in an ongoing manner would be negligent at best.

It really depends on what treatment and testing the water is getting. I'm not convinced it's not monitored or tested at all..

Such as?

I don’t disagree with you, but just saying “I’m not convinced” doesn’t advance your point of view at all.

I don't know either way..you are the one that made the claim:

> Sure, but it's also not monitored or tested.

It would surprise me if that's true but feel free to correct me if you know otherwise.

The problem to me, and I’m no expert, is that it’s not one thing. It’s a term that encompasses all water that’s treated, but not potable.

So without digging down and talking to each individual water provider you can’t say anything definitively.

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

Washing hands is ok, but washing bum is not? Or is it separate line?

Makes you wonder why they couldn't just hook up the bidets to the hand washing line? I guess that requires some real plumbing.

Watch out for the Kiss of Poseidon, then.

Clickbait title.

> “Many of our buildings are migrating to recycled water systems which cannot support bidets,” he wrote.

This is the main issue. Recycled water is not potable so humans should not be exposed to it.

Not all recycled water is classified the same, and there are plans for it to be potable in CA in the future. It makes sense since our drought is not going away, and there's not enough money to build enough desalinization plants.

EDIT Since I can't reply to dead comments, it's not just agriculture that causes water shortages. Climate change is definitely at work, and most likely the main culprit.

I was raised on an almond orchard and I can guarantee that Central Valley farmers do not give a single damn about the water supply. For example, I visited the other week and they were actively irrigating WHEN IT WAS RAINING.

They’re milking it dry and will move back to the Midwest before it becomes truly bad.

I understand that, but this isn't a one-time risk either.

It would be an going potential health risk to thousands of employees; that doesn't seem like the place to throw caution to the wind.

> nypost.com

This is just a tabloid-ified version of this article: https://www.protocol.com/workplace/google-bidet-removal

Even flushing the toilet could be harmful if it contains legionnaire bacteria, they aerosolise well especially in hotter climates.

Yeah, that could be a problem. They would have to run completely separate lines to the bidets if the toilet water is reclaimed.

If only Alphabet had some spare cash hanging about for a few hundred feet of plumbing.

> In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, sales of bidets skyrocketed as shoppers started panic-buying toilet paper.

WTF

--- Edit for layout

That's when I bought mine. Grocery store was out of toilet paper, next day delivery on Amazon. Still using it, I'm a fan of them now.

The two reactions to shortages:

* I should buy out the store because I might not be able to later.

* I should buy only what I absolutely need so that other people can have some.

Toilet paper was sold out for about a month around here before stores started to ration. Had we not had new pack with a Costco trip right before the panic it probably would have been an option for us as well.

oh, teh humanity

Reply on news.ycombinator.com