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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Home insurance options 9/10/08 • Are you prepared? 9/10/08 • Stay safe with these detectors, Monitors 9/10/08 • No band-aids for basements 9/10/08 • Stay on top of roof repair 9/10/08 • Home heating systems require regular servicing 9/10/08 • Insulation without rodents? 9/10/08 • The Heat Is On 9/10/08 • Keeping out the cold 9/10/08 • Warm Décor 9/10/08 • Putting away the power tools 9/10/08 • Goods in the garden 9/10/08 • Time To Remodel - September 2008 9/10/08 • Disposing of e-waste 7/16/08 • Goods in the garden 7/16/08     Published: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Don’t call ’em outhouses Composting toilets are similar to water-driven versions, they just don’t use water — or generate more waste for an already overburdened sewer system By M.L. Dehm For the Herald “Composting toilets? You mean outhouses, right?” That’s what many people think when they hear the term for the first time. But today’s composting toilets are nothing like outhouses. Originally developed in Sweden, they’re a lot like your typical water-driven models except that they use no water and don’t contribute to an already overburdened sewer system. But are they practical? They must think so north of the border. Composting toilets are even found in urban settings in Canada. For example, the C.K. Choi Building on the University of British Columbia campus has a waterless toilet system that has enabled the building to be completely disconnected from the public sewer system. The UBC’s setup is estimated to save more than 1,500 gallons of potable water each day, and keeps that same amount of resultant waste water out of the sewers. The collecting bins on this site need emptying only every 10 years. The end product is humus-rich Earth-friendly compost. But what about the smell? A properly constructed, correctly installed and ventilated toilet should have no smell. You also have to follow a few maintenance procedures. Maintenance type and amount depends upon which system you buy. One of the popular waterless toilet types approved for use in our state is an incinerator toilet. To use these, you drop a paper liner into the bowl. After using, you step on a pedal and the waste and liner drop down into a lower chamber. At the push of a button, the incinerator quickly reduces the waste to germ-free ash. The ash pan needs to be emptied once a week. “The composting toilets we sell are electric and nonelectric and they both work off of peat moss,” said Phil Tribuzio of Aurora Quality Buildings. “They’re usually used for recreational properties.” The peat moss models feature a bio-drum containing a peat moss and hemp fiber compost mix. After using the toilet and dropping in the toilet paper, you throw a cup of the peat moss mix down the bowl. About once a week you turn a handle that rotates the biodrum to help stimulate the composting action. Every few months you remove the odorless completed compost from a lower drawer on the unit. If your area allows it, this can be sprinkled directly in the garden. Don’t be shocked. It’s not uncommon for commercial compost brands to contain human sewage sludge. Of course the big question about composting toilets is whether they are something you could consider having in your home. They’re ideal for homeowners who want to add an extra toilet, perhaps in a basement, without having to deal with plumbing-in water and sewer. But what permits or permissions do you need? According to documents provided by the Snohomish Health District, you need to check with your local (such as city) authorities and with the Health District before installing any system. Your type and brand of toilet needs to be reviewed in advance. They also will want to make sure you understand your maintenance responsibilities. In some areas and situations permits may be required.

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