Your Y2k Toilet Woes SOLVED--No Mess, No Fuss, No big investment

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A few threads down, someone asked for a source of seats for tiolet seats to fit 5-gallon buckets, and some people posted advice about what to do about no running water to operate a conventional flush toilet--lining the bowl with plastic bags, etc.

Well, I want to offer what I believe is the best advice you will ever get on this subject. Get the Humanure Handbook by Jerry Jenkins and make yourself a sawdust toilet. I have done this, as per the books instructions, and have been using it in my shop for several months and I can't imagine anything being easier. Now that my well is getting extremely low due to drought, I'm about to install a sawdust toilet in my house. Here's how it works:

Get a plastic pail-- 6 gallons would be best-- and rig it up so you have a seat over it. Layer an inch or so of sawdust (or peat moss) in the bottom--The toilet is ready to use. Once it's used, cover the "deposit' with a layer of sawdust. The bucket takes all #1 & #2 material--the sawdust soaks up the #1.

When the bucket is full, take it outside, dump it on a compost pile you have built especially for humanure. (Mine consists of a 5ft diameter by 4ft high circle of fencing out behind my shop). Clean the bucket with a quart of water and a little detergent. I have a small brush, heavy rubber gloves, and a scotch brite pad dedicated to this. The contents of the bucket dump out nicely, there is little real cleaning necessary. Dump the cleaning water on the pile. Then cover the material with a layer of dry straw or hay. Plane more sawdust in the bottom of the bucket and return it to it's working position.

By covering the contents of the bucket with sawdust, there is virtually no smell (I think it smells less than a regular toilet sometimes--I have three young boys). And flies are not a problem either. Same goes for the outside pile--the hay or straw keeps flies out and obscures any objectionable contents from view.

The author of the book has used this kind of toilet for 20 years for his family of 4. He empties it every other day. He actually uses the 2-year composted material on his GARDEN. The book is full of figures and good information related to the safety of composted humanure.

Hay bales around here go for $2 to $3 each. I plan to have 50 bales under cover in the fall (I use it in my garden for mulch too). Sawdust is $5 for a truckload from the local sawmill. I already have several heavy duty trash bags of it stacked in my shed. I will have much more by winter (plan to pack ice in it this winter too).

This is a simple plan that will work for anyone. There is hardly any investment. Make your sawdust toilet now and start using it so there is very little adjustment when you HAVE to use it. You might even find it is easier to clean than your regular toilet.

Herrick Kimball

-- Herrick Kimball (herrickkimball@sprintmail.com), July 31, 1999

Answers

Dear Herrick, Thanks.Three small boys Huh.Bet they have fun with the sawdust !

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), July 31, 1999.

I believe any fine, organic material would substitute for the sawdust, like finely chopped leaves or peat moss. As I recall, Jenkins says the sawdust works a little better if it is slightly rotted. He also recommends that the compost pile be closed in, as with wooden planks, to retain heat better. It is important to follow the book's instructions for managing the compost, and for those of us in the north in particular, to make sure you are set up before winter arrives.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), July 31, 1999.

Yes I was wondering what you could use instead of sawdust.Dried Sugar Cane tops,maybe ?

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), August 01, 1999.

I would think that any dry, or semi-dry, organic matter would work in place of sawdust.

-- H Kimball (herrickkimball@sprintmail.com), August 01, 1999.

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