What if more people in our service area saw the sewer not as a magic disappearing act, but as the complex, carefully managed infrastructure that it is? Creating a more knowledgeable, engaged community is the idea behind a creative partnership between Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District and the Madison Public Market, where restrooms are being reimagined as unforgettable learning spaces.
This unique partnership is turning 14 high-traffic restrooms into unexpected places for wastewater education. We’re working with local design firm Art & Sons to develop “learning lavatories” that spark curiosity and encourage smarter choices at the source. Bathrooms are where water use is front and center—and where many sewer problems begin, thanks to flushed wipes, personal care products and other items that don’t belong. By placing educational prompts right where those choices happen, we hope to inspire small changes that make a big difference for water quality, infrastructure and the environment.
Unique messaging will reach a broad audience
The Madison Public Market site, at the corner of Johnson and First streets, is a fitting location. It’s surrounded by Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, steps from the Yahara River, next door to Pumping Station 1, and on the historic grounds of Madison’s first wastewater treatment plant, built in 1899. With over half a million visitors expected to the market each year, it’s a rare opportunity to reach a large, diverse audience—half a million chances to spark curiosity, share our mission and promote positive behaviors.
On the first floor, seven restrooms will take visitors on a visual journey through the wastewater treatment process. Colorful pipes and murals will guide the eye across walls and stall doors, illustrating how water is cleaned and returned to the environment. The goal is to make the invisible visible—and remind people that water doesn’t just disappear when it goes down the drain. Upstairs, another seven restrooms—dubbed the CAN Bathrooms—will focus on everyday decisions and their impact on water quality. Messaging will be playful, direct and action-oriented: what to flush, what not to and why it matters.
The designs will also feature surprising facts, maps of our service area and maybe even some clever design “hacks”—like clean, touch-free trash bins inside stalls, designed to make the right choice easier (and maybe even more fun?) than flushing something that shouldn’t be.
Creativity sparks engagement and behavior change
At its core, this project is about engagement. Sparking curiosity. Even disruption. That small moment where someone pauses and asks, “Wait—where does my water go?”
We’re drawing inspiration from others around the country who are using creativity to shift norms and promote environmental action. Think Northeast Ohio’s humorous #StallTactics, the artist-designed restrooms at the Kohler Arts Center, or the Cintas Corporation’s “America’s Best Restroom” annual competition. For our District, this is a chance to build trust, awareness and behavior change that will yield time, money and resource savings in the collection system, at the plant and downstream.
Current progress
When you drive by, you will already start to see some action around the building with City of Madison Public Art Projects on the exterior already taking shape! All of the interior work will begin as soon as the Public Market Foundation gains access to the building and its lease begins, likely sometime in the next few months. There is no specific date set just yet, but the Public Market Foundation anticipates the Market will open sometime in the first quarter of 2026.
By Catherine Harris
