Joseph Jenkins, author of "The Humanure Handbook" http://w3t.org/?u=fxp
Various shots of handmade toilets, a lot of them are sawdust. http://w3t.org/?u=fxq
Search around for more Humanure information and slate roof information.
$25 composting toilet: http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/sawdustoilet.html
Thought it might be interesting to some people.
You can even read his book on-line.
It's a very interesting book.
Not everyone has the mindset to do it, though.
Sawdust (has to be emptied frequently) or any other kind of composting toilet.
Cool, Daddymem and Amanda ---
For those of you who like to look at other peoples stuff,
http://www.weblife.org/humanure/default.html
The author has generously made his available online.
It's entirely possible that the flush toilet and the sewer made cities and the 20th century possible.
But now, unless you are doing the Earthshiptm type water system in which greywater is partially cleaned and then used to flush the toilet, the idea of pouring potable water into the sewer strikes me as almost obscene.
Our county is considering damming a deep valley, altering the course of a river to fill this valley, in order to supply us--although particularly the city of Waynesboro--with water. The problem is that the smaller river that they are now using for water supply (and discharge) is not big enough to provide enough water during the summer.
The river is used for recreation--handful of canoe rental companies in this county, more on up another 60-80 miles. It's the longest un-dammed river in Tennessee. Might be good to leave it that way.
I have a lot of silt in the little stream running down to this river, would bet that everybody else does too. So the resevoir will probably silt up in twenty-five years or so. (I understand that TVA has had to drain and de-silt one of its big dams already).
So, one of the questions is, how much would providing all the households in town with store-boughten and pretty expensive composting toilets cost in comparison with the dam and it's expected life.
If global warming means, as is expected, that we will become hotter and drier, then what happens. Will we evaporate more out of that resevoir than we saved by creating it? This apparently happens with some of the rivers out west.
We might ought to learn now, the way the Earthshiptm people out west have, to use every bit of the 12-15 inches of rain a year two-four times before sending it into a septic system--or in the summer, some sort of artificial wetlands.
End of rant--for now.
QuoteCool, Daddymem and Amanda ---
For those of you who like to look at other peoples stuff,
http://www.weblife.org/humanure/default.html
The author has generously made his available online.
Look at me go...comment like that and I don't even jump on it....hey wait, guess I just did kinda :-[
Since you're gonna go ahead and jump on it Daddymem, please take your shoes of before you go into the house.
I have visited the Earthship folks in Taos and I understand they are able to experient with various methods but still are required to put in a septic anyway, at least in the Taos subdivision.
Anyhow, that's an intriguing idea (I'd sign up!): subsidising/requiring everyone to purchase one or more modern composting toilets.
You could do it in a new subdivision, but not in the city or apartments. What would you do with the 1. compost? Down a dump chute for collection or something? To where? I'm not sure how a city would deal with that.
The only way it would work in the subdivision is with certain caveats:
1. Each homeowner is given a permit after taking a training course in how to work the unit and what to do with the refuse and has a the proper designated area, etc. to compost. An inspector renews the permit annually (then maybe every 5 years, and then starts over when a new owner buys the house) based on compliance with the rules on this. (yes, I know, more government control, but others will say, "how else are we going to protect ignorant people from themselves?")
2. There is a maintenance contract set up with a company that maintains the units and assists the homeowner with issues that may arise
3. There is an approved greywater system in place
This would still be a tough sell to city planners. I think it would be a great thing, though.
Out in the rural areas, the impact of screwing up on this is less, since you're not right next to your neighbor. In these little subdivisions on postage stamp lots, we could have a problem.
Take a look at these
http://www.omick.net/composting_toilets/composting_toilets.htm
http://www.omick.net/other_toilets/other_toilets.htm
Toilet ideas? Take a look at what the rest of the world does.
http://www.cromwell-intl.com/toilet/
(http://www.cromwell-intl.com/toilet/pictures/roman-vercovicium-01.jpg)