Composting Toilets to the Rescue

Too many people and not enough toilets.

With a large and very roomy house, 6 bedrooms, plus a finished attic and a finished basement, you would think they would have more than two bathrooms with toilets.

For most of the year it is just the two of them and they put off building more bathrooms.

This year they were to have 9 adults and 16 children as holiday guests.

It was in the middle of November when the couple was telling me their problem. They did not have the money to pay for permits and to have the bathrooms built to code.

I suggested they buy 6 of the fancy electric composting toilets. Put in vent pipes and plug them in to the electric for the heater to evaporate the liquids. And to forget the permits costs since as long as raw sewage never left the unit's the officials could not cause problems.

For less than $11,000 they had 8 working "stink free" toilets.

The couple asked me to "come see!"

They had built enclosures around each composting toilet.

1. 2 bedrooms had full bathrooms.
2. 4 more bedrooms had composting toilets.
3. There was one composting toilet in the attic and one in the basement.

They planned to leave the toilets hooked up to the electricity for 7 days after their company left. This would finish the composting. Then they would unplug the units until they were needed the next holiday.

You can buy the non-electric composting toilets but you need a drainpipe to drain of the liquids and you also need vent pipes for each unit.

It is handy to have several 5 gallon buckets with lids, a bag of pine shavings (animal bedding) and a potty chair...

Note: You have probably seen the potty chairs for adult invalids. They have 4 legs, a toilet seat with lid, a back bar to hold the lid upright and sturdy arm rests to raise and lower yourself off and on the toilet. You can get them really cheap.

...in the garage or storage shed for when your regular toilet backs up or 'breaks' and for when you need an extra toilet.

I know several people, with camper shells on their pick ups, who use the potty chair, buckets and pine shavings while traveling and even going to town.

1. They always have a toilet when they need one.
2. They do not have to walk long distances to use a toilet.
3. They do not have to use a filthy' restroom.
4. They can use their brand of toilet paper.
5. They have absolute privacy.
6. They can take all of the time they need to go potty.
7. They never have to hear "Yes we have toilets but they are for our employees ONLY'

Using composting toilets in new home construction means no septic tank or leech field. All you have is gray water from the sinks, showers or tubs. With a simple filter you can use that water for the landscaping.

Rhondalyn Teel