A couple months ago, in a discussion about oputhouses, I had posted a message saying that a friend had been working in Central America building, among other things, composting toilets. A few of you asked for plans, and I have finally got some. Unfortunately, I accidentally erased your email addresses, so please contact me if you are interested. The complete manual is 68 pages, and the parts on construction are about 25. All I would charge is the cost of photocopying and mail.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with these things, they are a great alternative to building an outhouse. Some companies even sell fancy ones that go in your house that you would never guess weren't regular. The basic idea is that liquids are separated from solid wastes by way of the design of the bowl (two chambers). The urine is diverted through a tube into a separate container. The solids drop into a simple box built of cinder blocks and are dried out with a scoop of ash or lime with each use. They are built as two-holers, with only one being used at a time. While one is filling up, the other is left dormant for about 6 months to complete decomposition. After that time, believe it or not, the compost is clean and suitable for use as organic fertilizer. This is due to the drying; pathogenic microbes in human waste die without the moisture that is typically found in a pit outhouse. It also, apparently, is not smelly. Even if one didn't garden, the design allows for a very efficient toilet which uses no water.

My friend was working with the Mennonite Central Committee in Guatemala in Appropriate Technologies and built hundreds of these. Though I think it might be a challenge to convince my wife, I would consider building one of these in the new house we are thinking of building. My friends had one right in their bedroom a few feet from their bed for three years and really found no downsides to it.

Anyone who is interested, let me know.

Steven Slaughter Chicago

-- steven slaughter (shousedesn@aol.com), September 16, 1998

Answers

I would be interested in your information. Sounds intriguing! Let me know what the proceedure is to get this, and the cost.All this Y2K preparation is interesting.A lot of it just seems like I`m returning to my childhood! I`m 65,husband is 71, and we are country folk. Used to ave nothing but "outhouses", but your compost one is very interesting!!

-- Barbara Harpole (BARHAR1@webtv.net), December 02, 1998.

Stephen!

I'm so glad to see your post. I have looked everywhere for your address that you e-mailed to me. Please send it again and this time I'll make sure my husband doesn't erase my mail. Thanks again!

Texas Terri

-- Texas Terri (TJSYM@AOL.com), December 02, 1998.

A solution right in one's living quarters with no smell! Maybe we won't have to be digging trenches in the frozen tundra after all. We're interested!

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 02, 1999.