# \[willis tower sewage\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 10, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508 "2014-06-10T22:19:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaja)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/1 "2014-06-10T22:19:09Z")
hi does anybody know how much sewage is flowing through the pipes at willis tower?? * * * MODERATOR NOTE: I assume this is a question about: [When a toilet atop the Sears Tower is flushed, do the contents fall 110 floors? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/224/when-a-toilet-atop-the-sears-tower-is-flushed-do-the-contents-fall-110-floors) – CKDH ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/2 "2014-06-10T22:24:44Z")
Shitloads ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/3 "2014-06-10T23:13:02Z")
that’s a crap answer. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/4 "2014-06-10T23:15:15Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > that’s a crap answer. Oh, you just had to drop a turd in the conversation, didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/5 "2014-06-11T00:22:56Z")
It runs downhill though. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/6 "2014-06-11T00:24:31Z")
Hey, no thread-shitting. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/7 "2014-06-11T00:33:24Z")
Oh, don’t get all pissy about it. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/8 "2014-06-11T05:07:34Z")
This thread stinks. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/9 "2014-06-11T11:25:41Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **jaja** , we’re glad you found us. And sorry for all the shitty responses, but we hope you got a laugh or two. That’s sort of our way. I’m assuming your question was in response to the column by Cecil about sewage in (then) Sears Tower, so I’ve added that link to your opening post. If that’s not correct, please let me know (just REPORT the post by clicking on the ! in the little red triangle in upper right corner.) I’m not sure if anyone will be able to find the answer, but I’m hoping we’ll get some actual research amongst the jokes. And, as I say, welcome! ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/10 "2014-06-11T19:18:38Z")
[There are about 12,000 people working in the tower](http://www.chicagobusiness.com/realestate/20121009/CRED03/121009785/willis-tower-lands-new-tenant). Someone here can probably relate that to average toilet usage, to get a rough number. (See? I tried to actually help answer the OP’s question. Hope the rest of you feel like shit.) ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/11 "2014-06-11T20:23:40Z")
I found a source that says the estimated average daily sewage generation for an office building is 20 gallons per employee. At 12,000 employees, that makes 240,000 gallons/day. if we spread that over a 10-hour day, that works out to 400 gallons/minute. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/12 "2014-06-12T00:10:08Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > (See? I tried to actually help answer the OP’s question. Hope the rest of you feel like shit.) I don’t feel bad at all. This whole place is a cesspool of bad jokes. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willis-tower-sewage/690508/13 "2014-06-13T11:25:23Z")
The stink goes out the top. But seriously, as long as the lowest toilet is still above Lake Michigan, then gravity does all the work.