How to Install a Composting Toilet With Maintenance
Composting toilets used to be the sole domain of survivalists and backwoods campers, but they are becoming increasingly common in areas where drought conditions and water restrictions are a fact of life. Commercial models are more expensive than traditional flush toilets, but their design makes the transition to a composting toilet easy and inoffensive. You can save a significant amount of money by building a composting toilet yourself. A homemade model can be as simple as a toilet seat mounted on a 5-gallon bucket, or you can build it into a cabinet structure to hide the evidence of decomposing waste. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Composting toilet, either a commercial model or homemade
- 5-gallon bucket
- Sawdust
- Water
- Pitchfork or shovel
- 2 50-gallon storage bins with lids
Instructions
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Assemble the Composting Toilet
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1
Assemble the composting toilet, following the manufacturer's instructions. Commercial units are self-contained and do not require special installation. Homemade versions can be self-contained, or you can build them to vent odors outside, depending on the design.
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2
Fill the 5-gallon bucket with sawdust. Place this near the composting toilet. Sprinkle a handful of sawdust into the solid waste container after each bowel movement. This will maintain an odor-free environment, as well as aid in eventual decomposition.
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3
It is not necessary to add sawdust when urinating because composting toilets separate solid and liquid waste. A separate container collects the urine. When the urine container is full, dilute it with 2-parts water (from either the tap or collected rainwater) to 1-part urine and spray on the lawn or garden. It will provide nitrogen--a necessary fertilizer--to the plants.
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4
When the solid-waste container is full, empty it into one of the 50-gallon storage containers. Continue to fill this large storage container for 1 year, or until it is full. Mix the waste every time you add more, to aerate it and speed decomposition.
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5
When the first 50-gallon storage container is full, leave it alone to fully decompose for 1 year. In this time, use the second 50-gallon container to accumulate solid waste. After a year, the waste in the first container will have fully composted, killing any pathogens. Use it as a soil amendment or mulch.
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Tips & Warnings
If you notice odors coming from the toilet's waste receptacle or the 50-gallon collection bin, add more sawdust and use the shovel to turn the waste. This will aerate it, killing the anaerobic bacteria that cause odors.
Check with your local and state government to find out if any permits are required to operate a composting toilet. Regulations vary by location.
