Eliminating Toilet Wastewater: Humanure and Composting Toilets

First, let me preface this topic with some food for thought. If the very-alternative suggestions I have for eliminating blackwater are a bit too alternative for you, come back tomorrow and read what I have to say about greywater. If you prefer a system that puts out blackwater, there are still plenty of things you can do to reduce and reuse water waste.

Now, I'm planning to build a house without a septic system. At all. I don't want to send my waste to the city for processing and I don't want it sitting in a tank under my house either, or worse, in a field near my house - eeewww!

How am I going to do that? Well, at first I'm planning to use the Humanure method. It's cheap and easy and effective and did I say cheap? On a most basic level, you're using a bucket for a toilet and covering it with enough sawdust to keep it from smelling. Then, you're composting your waste once a week or so. That doesn't sound very appealing though, does it. Take a look at some pictures of humanure toilets. As you can see, they run the gambit from outhouse with a bucket to a classy bathroom made of exotic wood. I'm rather fond of the chair design and am thinking of creating a variation. I love the idea of adding such luxuries to the details of our "low income" housing solution.

The other concern with humanure is the composting. As I mentioned in my article about water waste, human waste contains dangerous pathogens. When properly composted, all of those pathogens will be broken down and the resulting material will be safe even for food plants. Proper composting means a HOT pile that has a couple years to decompose fully. It doesn't require regular turning, or much effort at all, though. Just time, and the right ingredients. The Humanure Handbook is chalk full of wonderful scientific information. It's not just a description of the process. I highly suggest reading it to further understand the subject.

If you want something a little more advanced, you may consider a composting toilet. There are many variations of composting toilets. Some use a little water and flush. Some need electricity to compost the waste. Others yet require neither and just take a little longer to do the job. A composting toilet breaks waste down. Again, there is variation in just how well they do the job. Some just break it down so it takes less space but can't be used for anything. Some toilets produce compost safe for non-food items, and a some produce perfectly safe compost for even food plants. If you're considering a composting toilet, do your research. Find out just what you need to run the thing, and just what you'll be left with. It's also a good idea to read some reviews or visit sites using the toilets. Some companies are better than others at keeping the smell of the composting waste away from the owner. After a bit of research on my own, I've found myself in favor of the Envirolet Basic Plus and Sun Mar Excel NE toilets. There are plenty more out there, though. I encourage you to look for yourself, and if you find something great...please let me know!