Using a public toilet in Sevilla will soon cost 70 cents, after the city council approved a new regulation setting the fee for the facilities in Plaza de España.
The measure, expected to be formally approved on Friday by the Local Government Board, will also apply to any new public toilets installed elsewhere in the city.
Officials say the charge is not intended to generate revenue but to cover the costs of cleaning, maintenance and staffing.
According to municipal sources, the fees are based on an economic report, as required for any publicly regulated service.
‘The goal is not to raise money but to cover the cost of running and maintaining these facilities,’ city officials said, adding the regulation simply formalises charges that were previously set through service contracts.
Toilets currently cost 60 cents
At present, the toilets in Plaza de España charge 60 cents per person, meaning the new rule represents a 10-cent increase.
The facilities, located at the corner of Avenida Isabel la Catolica and Avenida Rodriguez Caso, were built around 2010 during the restoration of the historic square.
They are currently the only public toilets in a city of around 680,000 residents that receives nearly five million tourists a year.
Cost of running the toilets
City estimates suggest the facilities receive around 36,000 users annually.
Maintaining them requires at least 2.2 full-time staff to cover opening hours from 10am to 9pm, seven days a week, including cleaning and supervising access.
With salaries, materials, electricity and water included, the annual operating cost is estimated at €62,235.60.
That means each visit actually costs the city about €1.73, meaning the new €0.70 fee still falls well below the real cost of the service.
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