Dealing With Waste In An Emergency

[AZ Prepper]

Dealing With Waste In An Emergency
http://www.kentuckypreppersnetwork.c...emergency.html


One subject that probably isn't talked about enough is sanitation. As preppers we are preparing for the likelihood of being without a food and water source. We have our water stored for cooking and drinking but what about sanitation? All the conventional ways of getting rid of human waste rely on electricity and most importantly, running water. Without these sanitation is going to become a real issue in an emergency situation, especially if it's a situation that's going to last a while.

This is something that homeowners should be concerned with. How are you going to get rid of your waste without being able to flush the toilet? Probably the best option for homesteaders and preppers alike is building a working outhouse. People used outhouses for years. They could be a good thing if the grid ever went down. To build an outhouse you first want to choose a location that is 50 - 150 ft. from your home. This is to keep the smell at a minimum. A hole should be dug around 5 ft. deep and up to 3 ft. in diameter. A small building should be constructed on top of the the hole. Vent pipes should be ran from the pit to on top of the roof to vent the methane gas that would build up.

It might seem pretty primitive but if the grid went down it's going to be one of your only options to get rid of your waste. A well built outhouse would last years and with a 5 ft. deep pit your going to always be in a constant cycle of decomposition which shouldn't ever fill up. The outhouse would need to be well built and sealed up good around the pit itself. Outhouse specific toilet seats can be purchased to seal the pit and keep bugs and the smell down as much as possible. When people used outhouses they would sprinkle lime into the pit to aid in decomposition along with keeping the smell down. If you are a homesteader, you might want to look into building one of these if you expect the grid to go down for any length of time. Below is a diagram of an outhouse to give you an idea of how to build one.

[AZ Prepper]

Dealing With Waste In An Emergency (Part 2)
http://www.kentuckypreppersnetwork.c...emergency.html

Composting Toilet



A composting toilet is an aerobic processing system that treats excreta, typically with no water or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition. This is usually a faster process than the anaerobic decomposition at work in most wastewater systems, such as septic systems.

Composting toilets are often used as an alternative to central wastewater treatment plants (sewers) or septic systems. Typically they are chosen (1) to alleviate the need for water to flush toilets, (2) to avoid discharging nutrients and/or potential pathogens into environmentally sensitive areas, or (3) to capture nutrients in human excreta. Several manufactured composting toilet models are on the market, and construct-it-yourself systems are also popular.

These should not be confused with pit latrines, all of which are forms of less controlled decomposition, and may not protect ground water from nutrient or pathogen contamination or provide optimal nutrient recycling.

Types

Manufactured composting toilet systems



Self-contained composting toilets complete or begin the composting in a container within the receiving fixture. Remote, central, or underfloor units collect excreta via a toilet stool, either waterless or micro-flush, from which it drains to a composter. Vacuum-flush systems can flush horizontally or upward with a small amount of water to the composter. Micro-flush toilets use a small amount of water usually 1 pint (.5 liter) per use.

Self-contained composting toilets are slightly larger than a flush toilet, but use roughly the same floor space. Some units use fans for aeration, and optionally, heating elements to maintain optimum temperatures to hasten the composting process and to evaporate urine and other moisture. Operators of composting toilets commonly add a small amount of absorbent carbon material (such as untreated sawdust, coconut coir, peat moss) after each use to create air pockets for better aerobic processing, to absorb liquid, and to create an odor barrier. This additive is sometimes referred to as bulking agent. Some owner-operators use microbial starter cultures to ensure composting bacteria are in the process, although this is not critical.

Remote, central, and under-floor models each feature a chamber below the toilet stool (such as in a basement or outside) where composting takes place. These are typically used for high-volume and year-round applications as well as to serve multiple toilet stools. Several systems are available as well as many build-it-yourself options. (See Youtube Video Below)

Build-it-yourself, site-built, and owner-built design



Site-built indoor composting toilet designs vary, ranging from rollaway containers fitted with aerators to large concrete sloped-bottom tanks.

These are not to be confused with direct outdoor composting, which typically uses a collector bucket, where each deposit is covered with sawdust or other dry organic material, with the collector periodically being hand transported to an outdoor composting bin, where it may be added to yard waste or other organic material being composted.

Operating Process

Although there are many designs, the process factors at work are the same. Rapid aerobic composting will be thermophilic decomposition in which bacteria that thrive at high temperatures (104-140 °F) oxidizes (breaks down) the waste into its components, some of which are consumed in the process, reducing volume, and eliminating potential pathogens.

Drainage of excess liquid or leachate via a separate drain at the bottom of the composter is featured in some manufactured units, as the aerobic composting process requires moisture levels to be controlled (ideally 50%): too dry, and the mass decomposes slowly or not at all; too wet and anaerobic organisms thrive, creating undesirable odors. This separated liquid may be diverted to a graywater system or collected for other uses.



An approach that is becoming more common is the dry toilet, or urine-separating toilet. Where solar heat is used, this might be called a solar toilet. These systems depend on desiccation to achieve sanitation safety goals features systems that make use of the separated liquid fraction for immediate area fertilization.

Urine can contain up to 90 percent of the nitrogen, up to 50 percent of the phosphorus and up to 70 percent of the potassium present in human excreta. In healthy individuals it is usually pathogen free, although undiluted it may contain levels of inorganic salts and organic compounds at levels toxic to plants.

The other requirement critical for microbial action (as well as drying) is oxygen. Commercial systems provide methods of ventilation that move air from the room, through the waste container, and out a vertical pipe, venting above the enclosure roof. This air movement (via convection or fan forced) will vent carbon dioxide and odors.

Most units require manual methods for periodic aeration of the solid mass such as rotating a drum inside the unit or working an "aerator rake" through the mass. Composting toilet brands have different provisions for emptying the finished product, and supply a range of capacities based on volume of use. Frequency of emptying will depend on the speed of the decomposition process and capacity, from a few months (active hot composting) to years (passive, cold composting). With a properly sized and managed unit, a very small volume (about 10% of inputs) of a humus-like material results, which can be suitable as soil amendment for agriculture, depending on local public health regulations.

[AZ Prepper]

Loveable Loo Eco-Friendly Compost Toilet


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPg-n4czGE0