Building Composting Toilets

[AirborneEagles]

Anyone cover this yet? You can file this under G if anyone has. I just will go through a quick version or two and leave it at that just in case.

Anyone can add to this if they like.

Well the case with Katrina was the Stadium was filled with lots of people and the bathrooms were piling up with poo. Not really sanitary in my book. There is also those times when electricity goes out, people need a throne to sit on and when the toilets don't flush, well nobody can wait forever. There is also those places you camp and no toilets to be found and its a take in and out situation. What ever the case is, here is a quick problem solver.

A simple composting toilet is nothing more than a 5 gallon bucket with lid, some dry grass, leaves and or saw dust and some toilet paper or napkins even work.

After every time someone uses the bucket, throw some grass, saw dust, leaves or what ever is handy that is from nature to do the job of covering it up (just a sprinkle unless you fill the bucket at one time, then use a few hand fulls of dry vegetation to cover it). If you don't have any vegetation in your area or in the big city, then rip up some newspapers and throw that on top.

In the wild, you most likely won't have a 5 gallon bucket, so if you are in one spot for a while and need a toilet, then dig a nice sized hole several feet down if possible and every time you go, just throw some pine needles, grass, or what ever is handy including even some dirt if that is all there is on top each time you go. Now, some will say just go in the woods, but after a few days, the flies are gathering up and the smell becomes a little more than distracting. So yet again, someone says go further away from camp and go, yet someone is always walking around looking for firewood and steps in someone's left over dinner the night before. So just a nice way of keeping a clean smelling camp and keeping the bugs away is using a composting toilet.
I hate to think some fly just went and ate some guys poo and then lands on my dinner, I don't mind the deer, but the guy next to me? Yuck. Haha.
Just some humor. Anyway, just another idea.

Good Hunting.

[Rick]

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...compost+toilet

[BENESSE]

Just read the entire thread on "compost+toilet"... and boy, things had a way of deteriorating way before I got here. Nothing like going down memory lane to keep things in perspective.

However, this is a subject I gave a lot of thought to (researched), and believe me, it's not as easy dealing with it in a high-rise city building as it would be if you had a yard. Woods? Piece of cake! (figuratively speaking, Rick)

All you have to do is read about plague-infested cities of the middle ages to realize how quickly this aspect of life can bring misery and danger.

[AirborneEagles]

Just read the entire thread on "compost+toilet"... and boy, things had a way of deteriorating way before I got here. Nothing like going down memory lane to keep things in perspective.

However, this is a subject I gave a lot of thought to (researched), and believe me, it's not as easy dealing with it in a high-rise city building as it would be if you had a yard. Woods? Piece of cake! (figuratively speaking, Rick)

All you have to do is read about plague-infested cities of the middle ages to realize how quickly this aspect of life can bring misery and danger.

True, the nice thing about the 5 gallon bucket is that you can use apple cider vinegar (costs about 5 bucks for 2 gallons here, may be a little more there and is cheaper than house cleaner) to help kill any smells that work just as well. Then put the lid on and have it in your bathroom and when you are done when there is electricity again, then the worst part is getting rid of it. Just dump a little in the toilet at a time and flush, then when the bucket is empty you can add some cleaner and water to the bucket and clean it out dumping in the toilet. At least, this way you can go for a week or two just using the 5 gallon bucket without electricity. If it gets full, have another on hand to start filling up. Easy urban survival really, saves the toilet and no smelly house.

[BENESSE]

AE, it's the emptying that truly worries me. What if the situation continues for weeks? I read that lime is useful although I don't know how safe.

[NCO]

About that no electricity thing. We actually had the worst thunderstorm in a decades few weeks back. In Eastern part of the country it fell about 1,000,000 cubic meters of forest(wood) and cut the power from tens of thousands, including my mother and her husband. They were over a week without electricity, mobile phone connection and all that. Fortunately they had two weeks worth of food that didn't rely on refrigeration, and a gas stove to cook water from a nearby lake.
They also faced this no toilet issue. The toilet is basically mechanic and needs electricity for the pump that fills the flushing tank. They simply carried plenty of water from the lake, and manually filled the tank when needed. It worked like a dream with plenty of exercise.

[BENESSE]

They also faced this no toilet issue. The toilet is basically mechanic and needs electricity for the pump that fills the flushing tank. They simply carried plenty of water from the lake, and manually filled the tank when needed. It worked like a dream with plenty of exercise.

Not doable here. This is NYC--high-rise buildings, millions of people, concrete/asphalt pavements everywhere you turn. That's the set up I'm starting with.
If I have to go out for water to one of the 2 (relatively close by) rivers, it will be for drinking not flushing, I'm fairly sure.

[NCO]

I suppose in your case the bucket is far superior option...

[gryffynklm]

Nco, a flush bucket is a good idea. Depending on were your live and the path you sewer system takes, It may not be a matter of gravity doing its work and moving things along. Were I live we have a lift station about 250 yards from our house. The lift station moves sewage and wast water up hill on its way to the treatment plant. Depending on the severity and duration of a power failure, the sewer pipes will fill up over time, how much time your guess is as good as mine. Our lift station has a natural gas generator so as long as that is functioning, we are good. If the gas supply is interrupted along with a power failure, well I guess we are down stream. Composting is the ticket.

Rick thanks for the reminder to that thread.

[AirborneEagles]

AE, it's the emptying that truly worries me. What if the situation continues for weeks? I read that lime is useful although I don't know how safe.

Well its just a matter of survival and its just a one time thing to empty the buckets when the power comes on. Sure it may smell, but you will have cleaners on hand to kill the smell and a fan that will be working. (Having some handywipes to clean your hands with and a screw driver to take the toilet seat off to use on the bucket will also make things comfortable.) They also have some biodegradable RV sewer bacteria killers and it gets rid of the smells too. Having a bottle of that on hand will help matters in the home, plus when the time comes at least you had some comfort in the home without going out and walking for miles looking for water to flush the toilet with. Large cities with power outages can be quite worrisome at night. Upon this, just think of what it will be like if a solar storm hit the earth and wiped out all electricity for months. So it comes back to if there is a will, there is a way to survive. It truly becomes both an Urban and wilderness survival and knowing both sure helps make life more comfortable.

Also Kmart and Wallyworld or other stores sell a nice porta potty, which the smallest I saw I think was about a 155 flusher, (you don't even need water) and that might solve the problem too in case electricity goes out. It is like a real toilet only its portable. Costs between 70-100 bucks I think. Might check on those. Great for those who live in the city. Has an easy pour spout for pouring it in the toilet too.

Hope that helped.

[canid]

Piece of cake!

i don't think that's cake...

in my research into the subject i've concluded - for my part - that filler, allowing drainage and aeration is important, as aerobically composting waste seems to be far safer than anaerobically composting waste. there are less foul smelling gasses produced and there is an environment which supports fewer of the potentially dangerous pathogens.

well composted 'solid waste', with a good microbial diversity under aerobic condition's isn't even all that gross. the filler generates a lot of extra volume, but then you're just talking about a large volume of useful soil nutrients.

i wouldn't put it on my vegetable garden, but i wouldn't mind using it to enrich the soil at large and help build extra biomass.

[BENESSE]

C, what I meant was that going potty out in the wilderness is much simpler than doing it in a plastic bucket in a small apt. in high-rise building.
All that you mentioned is only doable outside where there is soil.
Needless to say, this issue alone is at the top of my "worry" list should the SHTF.

[crashdive123]

B - how high up are you? One would think that if you gave three blasts of your survival whistle before dumping the bucket out the window that those below would have ample warning. Instead of SHTF think of it as a SHTS (sidewalk) situation. Now - should Johnny No Thumbs, the local enforcer, be walking below - you may want to wait. He's not all that agile, but he is persistent. Fugetaboutit - or for our Canadian friends - Fugetabootit.

[BENESSE]

I'm only on the 4th fl. C, and I suppose if worse came to worst opening the window and pitching out some "bags" would be the only option.
But could you imagine if everyone did it? It would pretty much ensure that no one set foot outside or they'd be in deep doodoo literally. The bad guys roaming the streets would have to dodge much more than bullets.

[Aurelius95]

B - how high up are you? One would think that if you gave three blasts of your survival whistle before dumping the bucket out the window that those below would have ample warning. Instead of SHTF think of it as a SHTS (sidewalk) situation. Now - should Johnny No Thumbs, the local enforcer, be walking below - you may want to wait. He's not all that agile, but he is persistent. Fugetaboutit - or for our Canadian friends - Fugetabootit.

That's about the funniest thing I've read all day! I was thinking the same thing when I was reading this thread. However, just imagine if just 10% of the apt. population stays, and they do the same thing. Walking the streets would be a dangerous endeavor, indeed!

[crashdive123]

I'm only on the 4th fl. C, and I suppose if worse came to worst opening the window and pitching out some "bags" would be the only option.
But could you imagine if everyone did it? It would pretty much ensure that no one set foot outside or they'd be in deep doodoo literally. The bad guys roaming the streets would have to dodge much more than bullets.

I remember the big NYC garbage strike in the early 70's (I lived near the Jersey Shore). The funniest thing I saw was a news report of people that would box up their trash, gift wrap it, set it down on their stoop ---- stolen within a minute or two.

[Justin Case]

I remember the big NYC garbage strike in the early 70's (I lived near the Jersey Shore). The funniest thing I saw was a news report of people that would box up their trash, gift wrap it, set it down on their stoop ---- stolen within a minute or two.

LOL,,,, Thats using your noodle !