Sochi shocks journalists who should know better

The graphic depicted in this Greek washroom transcends language barriers

I’ve been reading the gripes about substandard hotel rooms tweeted  by journalists in Sochi and I have to wonder if any of them have traveled to developing countries before.
One writer said the most shocking thing he/she found were signs noting that toilet paper was not to be flushed down the toilet, but to be deposited in a waste basket.
I’ve seen that in lots of places, even in older rural areas of pretty modern countries. The septic or sewer system could well be hundreds of years old and just cannot handle paper.
That’s also common in marine toilets and part of the briefing you’ll get on many a dive or party boat.
Smart travelers know that when that situation is encountered, the tap water is probably not good to drink either. That was another fact that seems to have surprised many of the journalists in Sochi for the Olympics.
Why do they think bottled water was a fact of life in European countries decades before it became common here?
I’m sure this will be a very educational trip for them.