Earthquakes

It seems that the engineers who design toilets do not consider the possibility that their product might be subjected to an earthquake. Toilets are top-heavy devices, with a narrow base, and weak attachments to the floor or sewer pipe. I haven't found any data on toilet failures but it seems to me that the average toilet is very likely to topple over during an earthquake. A toilet that has become detached from its mounting is not only useless, but it is very likely a liability because it will probably leak water and flood the building. The only toilets I'm aware of that have a good chance of surviving a moderate earthquake are the wall-mounted institutional models. Are there any floor-mounted, residential toilets that have been designed to resist seismic activity?

...uhh I am pretty sure today isn't April Fools Day....is this a serious post?

While I have no data to back this up, my feeling is that if the earthquake is severe enough to rip a toilet from its mounting, you'll have other problems much worse than worrying about a leak. Porcelain is rigid, and over the short span, the floor is too. You might lose the toilet lid, but I don't think you'd break the toilet free.

From
http://geology.utah.gov/utahgeo/hazards/eqfault/eqfault.htm

"On the Holocene fault on which a magnitude 6.5 (approximate) or larger earthquake occurs. On average, these earthquakes may occur once every 120 years on various faults in the Wasatch Front region; once every 350 years somewhere along the central part of the Wasatch fault (between Brigham City and Nephi); once every 2,000 years at any specific locality along the central Wasatch fault; and once every 5,000 to 20,000 years or more on other Holocene faults in the state."

Quake of '89

The Loma Prieta quake of '89 was in the 7.0 range and it shook us up pretty bad. Pools emptied, freeway crashed, but I don't know of a single case where a toilet crashed. We have other things to worry about.

I grew up in Southern California and the toilets survive, except for the tank lids that going flying. Those old Norris toilets were a regular seismic launch pad for lids.

Just like Radio Shack,
"You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers."
http://www.taglineguru.com/sloganlist.html

I suppose you could check into these originally designed for use in a Titan 1 missile complex....
Designed so that even with a mushroom cloud overhead the poopin underground could go on...

Is this another one of those PSAs that turn out to be an advertisement for something you have invented? Possibly floor anchored seat belts, guy wires, or similar for a toilet.