San Francisco Public Works crews have painted nine city walls with pee-proof paint, which sprays urine back onto the shoes and pants of public urinators, in an attempt to clean up urine-soaked alleyways and walls, according to The Huffington Post.
"We are piloting it to see if we can discourage people from peeing at many of our hot spots," Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru said. "Nobody wants to smell urine. We are trying different things to try to make San Francisco smell nice and look beautiful."
Nuru took inspiration from a project in Hamburg, Germany, where crews applied the hydrophobic paint on the walls of a district bustling with nightlife in order to deter offenders, according to CNN.
When a person tries to relieve himself on a wall coated with the liquid-repellent paint, the urine splashes back onto the individual's clothes or shoes, instead of running down the wall.
"Based on Hamburg, we know this pilot program is going to work," Nuru said, according to The San Francisco Gate. "It will reduce the number of people using the walls. I really think it will deter them."
San Francisco has been facing the issue of public urination for quite some time now. Back in 2002, the city approved a legislation prohibiting public urination and imposing a fine of $50 to $100 for offenders, but the ban has not been effectual in curbing late-night revelers and indigents from answering nature's call on city walls,
Public Works has received about 375 request to steam clean urine soaked areas, and the city is hopeful that the new pee-prevention tactic might help curb the problem.
