If toilets were effectively a slowly replenishing water source instead of a container you could do fill cans of water by right clicking at it with empty cans equipped. I never found it made sense that you would find 3 bottles of water in a toilet, I know the free bottles are for convenience though since the decision was made to stop the toilets being an infinite water source.
And was sod not initially mentioned as being an early game fireproof material? Because burning zombies could torch your wooden fort?