Ecological Sanitation

[JJReyes]

You can build an ecosan toilet in your backyard. It's a modern version of the outhouse. The photographs is the luxury version built with German engineering and money (Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro received a grant from the German government). This one has an ecosan porcelain bowl that probably cost about P5,000 and a separate urinal for women to squat. The blue bucket contains the ash. This facility includes a water container and sink to wash your hands. Underneath the concrete platform are plastic containers for easy retrieval.

 

A luxury toilet probably cost about P20,000 to construct. I will look for photographs of a cheaper version. There is a urinal in Africa designed by Peace Corp volunteers that cost P100.

 

 

[ozepete]

Very interesting, but how does this work?

[Thomas]

Very interesting, but how does this workI?

I don't know for Xavier's, if it has any other solution,

but when men* sit down doing both, then he pee in front, a separate part there split pee and poo. Pee container can be used anytime, direct if wanted, the poo container keep it until it's ready fertilizer. (Some types with smaller containers, are emptied and put elsewhere until it's ready.It take roughly a month.)

The process need a minimum heat, but I suppouse it's enough in RP  :)    Mine in Sweden has heater and a slow fan starting in the bowl container taking out the smell direct to outdoor, so it's no problem having it indoor. I don't even  need a ventilation fan as some has in the ROOM when they have WC!  :)

 

It functions to get fertilizer if not have separator too, if have a solution, which make sure the container don't flood by being to wet by the pee. Biger risk the more people use it, because then have heat and fan problem to have time enough to get moist out at the same time as it move out the smell through a separate ventilation pipe. (But I even have to put water in my container to avoid making it to dry  :)  

 

*That's why Xavier solution have a special bucket/toilet for women to pee in, because they have hard to aim in the separator  :)

[Tukaram (Tim)]

We have something similar.  The toilet goes to a septic tank but all the gray water goes straight into the yard ha ha!    :tiphat:

[JJReyes]

The purpose of the ecosan is to separate urine and waste. Urine has very little odor when fresh and it could be immediately used as a fertilizer. Leaving the container out under the sun in the Philippines for several weeks increases its potency because of the microbes. It also increases the stench. In colder climates like Sweden, you need to heat it up.

 

Waste has pathogens requiring about 9 months to turn into compost. I would recommend hiring someone rather than doing it yourself. Otherwise, the wife would no longer love you. 

 

The first photo shows two models. The Philippines sells Western style toilets either made with porcelain material or concrete. I have seen the concrete version selling for between P2,000 to P4,000 each. The Dutch government is a strong proponent of ecosan toilets for developing countries. They offer grants at the local government unit level. The enthusiasm is not strong because the Dutch won't give you cash. Instead, they arrange for the delivery of ecosan toilet bowls to municipalities. The second model is plastic as used in India. 

 

A typical scene in the Philippines is pissing on the wall for men. Any wall will do. Women carry umbrellas. It is used to protect themselves from rain and the hot sun. The umbrella also serves as a modesty shield.

 

Some Peace Corp volunteers came up with a fantastic idea. It's a used plastic container and a funnel like device on top contoured for women to use in a squatting position. 

 

I exchanged PMs with Bruce about setting up public urinals in Catbalogan, Samar. The farmers get free fertilizer. The municipality gets better sanitation. It could even create employment. The attendant would charge P1 for No. 1 and P2 for No. 2. The eventual conclusion was I would have to relocate to the Philippines and run the program on a full time basis. I would also have to spend my own money, which pisses me off. 

 

Bill Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hired a hi-tech company to design a toilet for Africa. He showed it on 60 Minutes, but there was no explanation on how it works. He probably paid several million for the design and each unit may cost several hundreds to construct. A forum member might present the concept to another American foundation and for P10,000 per unit, provide excellent public sanitation in the Philippines. Yes, my pricing includes beer money down to the barangay official level. Beer money is an essential added expense. How else can you test the ecosan toilets?

[JJReyes]

Sorry. I forgot the photographs.

 

 

[Thomas]

Waste has pathogens requiring about 9 months to turn into compost. I would recommend hiring someone rather than doing it yourself. Otherwise, the wife would no longer love you.

Well. There are toilets - as e g mine - which transform poo to very nutricious earth, if adding a bit "earthening" material at the top now and then. Just take it out in the bottom when it's ready, or - in other type - switch buckets and put them in store until they are ready.

Such transformed earth just smell as earth  :)   (black type)

[JJReyes]

Ash is used instead of water. It keeps the flies out, helps dry the waste and acts as a deodorant. I suppose it is similar to using charcoal for air filtration. The waste is mixed with other composting materials like dry leaves and grass. You can introduce African night crawlers (earthworms). An innovation to composting is adding IMO (Indigenous Micro Organisms) from time to time. 

 

There is a Yuck! element to using "night soil" as the human waste is sometimes called. I would suggest the application be limited to forestry products like bamboo and commercial timber. The preference is animal waste converted to fertilizer for vegetable gardens, although both are very similar. Our waste has more pathogens because of the foods we eat.

Edited August 21, 2013 by JJReyes

[Thomas]

Ash is used instead of water. It keeps the flies out, helps dry the waste and acts as a deodorant. I suppose it is similar to using charcoal for air filtration. The waste is mixed with other composting materials like dry leaves and grass. You can introduce African night crawlers (earthworms). An innovation to composting is adding IMO (Indigenous Micro Organisms) from time to time.

The water I used just because MY toilet become to dry. Families don't get that trouble.

Fan solution make it don't need any deodorant - at least if being vegetarian  :)

Pinewood bark is good to keep flies away  (the terpentine in it do, and bark let it out slow bit by bit.)

(I have made a deal with spiders, they keep insects away in the house, and I let their spider webs as peace as long as they use them :dance: 

 

Why mix with plant waste?? With African night crawlers such are ready fertilizer faster than toilet waste. 

And if you bother about the Yuck factor, you can use them for different  :)