Subject: Dry toilets

From: [email-masked] (Robert Montana)
Date: 7 Jul 1993 08:19:44 -0700

Hello all,

This is my first post to misc.rural.  I don't even live close to a
rural area but I wish I did.  Since I can't right now I going to 
have to settle for living vicariously through relatives that live
in a small town not far from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

The relatives are poor by our standards, but not the poorest.  They live in
a government subdivision, their lot being approximately 30' X 60'.
There is a very nice concrete curb and as for the street, it's hard
to tell because there is either a thick layer of dirt or it is simply
a dirt road.  (I don't speak Spanish, so I have to communicate through
my wife.  Perhaps that is a good thing because I would have a million
questions and the relatives would probably conclude I was just an
'Ugly American'.)

I have several questions to post here but as the subject line states,
I am interested in alternatives to the outhouse currently used by my
relatives.

A few more facts about their place.

	They have an electrical hook-up.
	They have a re-fillable propane tank.
	They have water delivered by truck, it is poured into
	  two plastic 55 gallon drums.  This water is not drinkable.
	  My cousin tells me they will use one drum a day although
	  delivery is sometimes inconsistent.	
	They have 'Sparkletts' water delivered for drinking and eating.

I read several years ago, I believe in The Whole Earth Catalog, about
a 'dry toilet' that was developed in Sweden(?).  That waste material
the comes out is usable as fertilizer, and that it is approved for use
in every county of the United States.  That seems pretty impressive since
the use of human waste is pretty much discouraged.

Does anyone have more information on this 'dry toilet' and better yet,
is anyone out there using this type of toilet?

Thanks!
Bob

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From: [email-masked] (Hal Cheney)
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1993 16:57:47 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (
Robert Montana) writes:

>Subject: Dry toilets
>Date: 7 Jul 1993 08:19:44 -0700
>
My 1992 Lehman's catalog (pp92-93) lists two different models.  Each
model is in two versions--the "NE" (non-electric) waterless composting 
toilet for $1049 plus freight and its counterpart electric version, the 
"XL" for $1249 plus freight.  The other model is the "multrum" "WCE-NE"
($1099 plus freight) and the "WCM" (electric at $1249 plus freight).
If you missed the earlier post, Lehman's address is 4779 Kidron Road,
PO Box 41, Kidron, OH  44636.

---

From: [email-masked] (Jim Gurley)
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 93 04:19:54 GMT

>PO Box 41, Kidron, OH  44636.

I live in the mountains of Southern Oregon and I have one of those 'dry'
toilets.  It's a SUNMAR WCM that was probably bought from Real Goods in
Ukiah (I'm renting).  Since I'm also off grid, my model doesn't have a
heater or fan in it, which means all winter, I got nothing but accumulated
crap.  I ended up emptying it out into a barrel which sits out in the
orchard for some future use.  Now that warm weather's here, it's composting
nicely.  I put all my uncooked (non-fruit) vegie scraps along with a
handful of peat moss each day.  I also throw the occasional handful of dry
grass in.  My understanding is that the resulting compost is just fine for
non-contact crops (orchards, tomatoes, corn, etc.).  I guess someone
decided that potatoes, carrots, etc. are some sort of risk.

I should mention however, I'm going with a conventional septic system on
the house I'm building.  According to our county, a 'legitimate' composting
toilet system requires a 2/3 size leech field (mine has none), which means
it's probably no cheaper than a real septic (since the toilet is about the
same price as a septic tank).