Composting Toilet

In planning a trip to a Florida spring I found advertised "composting toilets". I teach both worm and landscape composting but am unfamiliar with human waste composting so I decided to do a little research.  Maybe we need to add a new class!

Composting toilets are toilet systems which treat human waste by composting and dehydration to produce a useable end-product that is a valuable soil additive. They come in a variety of models and brand names as well as different shapes and designs to enhance the natural composting process. They use little or no water, are not connected to expensive sewage systems, cause no environmental damage and produce a valuable resource for gardening.  Sounding good so far.

Some disadvantages are:
• Maintenance of composting toilet systems requires more responsibility and commitment by users and owners than conventional wastewater systems.
• Removing the finished end-product is an unpleasant job if the composting toilet system is not properly installed or maintained.
• Composting toilet systems must be used in conjunction with a graywater system in most circumstances.
• Smaller units may have limited capacity for accepting peak loads.  Wait, what?  Okay, size matters!


I now find myself looking forward to visiting a toilet.  My August blog will definitely include a report from the John.

I am not sure the residents of Manatee County are ready for a full class on this type of composting although it does have some great environmental advantages, maybe we'll mention it in our other composting classes.