Portable Composting toilets,Very Very Green

[kenny chaos]

Not so good - wood ashed kill the bacteria which break down the humanure, effectively sterilising it. It may be covered but it isn't composting easily. Adding sawdust (high in organic carbon) makes the carbon/nitrogen balance perfect for composting, encouraging the growth of thermophilic bacteria. This guarantees that your waste breaks down really fast and doesn't end up unpleasant or smelly.

Hot composting has the added benefit of killing off any pathogens which might be present in the humanure to begin with.

Mike

That makes sense. Thanks-

 

[Seasoned Oak]

We've had some sit for a few weeks without any ill effect, when we go away on holiday or whatever. I think it would be best just to empty it before you leave though. If it is only part full it won't be heavy or messy to do, and then you come back to a clean toilet afterwards.

My friends who have cabins sometimes have summer parties and they rent those job johnny's,you know the phone booth looking things,and they smell horrible and are expensive, people dread having to use them. i have yet to have a party at mine cuz of lack of suitable waste disposal facilities, i think this method if done right will be far superior to the job johnny method. you just have to post instructions. I think with a little innovation i may be able to construct a dry flush system that dumps the sawdust the way a tank dumps water. or possibly adapt a camper style porto potty which just has a holding tank below.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Have you seen the Humanure Handbook?

He has a great system for composting human waste. Rather than drying out the waste, which most self-contained systems do, you use a load of sawdust. The sawdust helps balance the carbon-nitrogen ratio (as in any compost heap) which stops the whole thing nasty. With the right C/N ratio your manure undergoes hot composting which kills all pathogens.

The design is simple - basically just a toilet seat with a bucket under it. Part fill the bucket with sawdust, use just as you would a normal toilet. The only difference is that when you are done you "flush" with a scoop of fresh sawdust. This covers anything unsightly, completely preventing odours.

Once a week or so, depending on the number of people and size of bucket, you empty the bucket into your compost heap. Even the emptying isn't an unpleasant experience as the odour is essentially absorbed by the sawdust. At worst it will smell a bit like hamster cage!

I've had a lot of experience using these, including for remote camps with 50+ school children. They don't even end up with the usual "public toilet" aroma that others described above.

Mike

Ah yes, the deep litter system for people.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Have you seen the Humanure Handbook?


Mike

Ah yes, the deep litter system for people.

Smokey
Hows those pellets work out cost wise ?Are they cost effective?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Have you seen the Humanure Handbook?


Mike

Ah yes, the deep litter system for people.

Smokey
Hows those pellets work out cost wise ?Are they cost effective?

If my pellets are $269/ton the fuel oil is break even at $2.24/gallon My last fuel oil was more expensive than that and currently it would be $2.64/gallon. So I'm saving a bit. If I don't mind playing in ash a lot I can get my pellets for about $200/ton.

Like all things the prices fluctuate.

As one member of the forums has pointed out life's too short to waste it burning crappy pellets.

Wood dragons are cheaper, but in my old age I'd rather not be playing with the tools of that heating method.

 

[SnapCracklePop]

But with my own small community struggling with a $210 Million Mandate To build a new sewer plant and forecasting $100 per month in sewer usage fees, perhaps there are other choices.
It don't get much greener than this.

Trump, wouldn't your community require you to pay the tap-in fee, regardless of whether you actually WANT their sewer service? I'm thinking it's only a matter of time until they come knocking at my door, so I'm curious...

Nancy

 

[Seasoned Oak]

But with my own small community struggling with a $210 Million Mandate To build a new sewer plant and forecasting $100 per month in sewer usage fees, perhaps there are other choices.
It don't get much greener than this.

Trump, wouldn't your community require you to pay the tap-in fee, regardless of whether you actually WANT their sewer service? I'm thinking it's only a matter of time until they come knocking at my door, so I'm curious...

Nancy

Actually for NOW they dont charge you at all if you disconnect the house from the street in the basement, but if and when you reconnect it they charge you a monthly fee for all the months it was disconnected at half normal rate. I have a few houses that need renovation and are vacant so i disconnected them for now. Its bad enough to be paying taxes and insurance on a vacant house let alone sewer fees with a vacant property.
I pity the guys who spend 15 to 20 Grand on a septic system only to have the sewer authority condemn it and make them hook up and pay for life.