Sometimes, you’ve got to cut the cord and take a financial hit. But so far, no one’s taken up this deal.

They don’t call it the Emerald City for nothing — Seattle’s considered a clean, cutting-edge haven of the Northwest. But after purchasing five multimillion-dollar self-cleaning toilets, city officials are wishing they’d stuck with more tried-and-true installations.

The German-made, high-tech toilets were brought in to bring even more class to the city. The unisex facilities have self-cleaning silver stalls and are protected by graffiti- and impact-resistant automated doors. Each comes complete with hands-free washing and drying capabilities and has an emergency button that dials directly to a local 911 dispatcher.

Unfortunately, the stalls have also become a frequent hangout for drug users and prostitutes, and are less cost-effective than regular restrooms — they’ve run up $5 million in installation, maintenance and energy costs since 2004.

The city placed the toilets on the online auction site eBay, hoping to net at least $89,000 for each of the commodes to help recoup the costs. So far, the city of Toronto has shown some interest.

When asked how the city will cope with the same problems Seattle faced, Toronto officials say they plan to charge $1 per use to deter loitering.

Also in the city’s plans: installing a feature where security staff can be called if a user takes more than 15 minutes inside a facility. So if you’re in the Toronto area and feel nature’s call near one of these establishments, keep things quick — otherwise, some awkward conversation will ensue.

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Tags: eBay, Emerald City, Online auction, Seatlle