Composting toilets, how will they work?

As we have been busy with the toilet block build, we have had lots of people ask questions about our new composting toilets; how they will work and why we have made the decisions we have when building them?

The doors are added and the toilets are nearly ready to go!

One of the reasons the toilets have traditionally been at the end of the track is because there is direct access to the sewer network in that area. This has worked for many years and while the costs of hiring toilet blocks and delivery charges was low it was not a problem, but prices have risen dramatically. On top of that there are increasing problems with deliveries, which are at the whim of the drivers, and could leave us struggling last minute.

So we have increasingly been looking at options to have the toilets permanently available to avoid hire charges and deliveries. In this process we looked at ways that we could provide toilets on site, to cut out the long track walk in the middle of the night and reduce our dependence on portaloos. The first option was a septic tank, for which a trench was dug in 2021 and planning permission sought and agreed. However as the committee started to investigate it turned out getting companies to pump waste is also increasingly difficult and the track was a barrier to many companies. So we started to look at other options, greener options.

In the end we opted for composting toilets. The technology has really moved on since the days of the long drop and we looked at a variety of different systems before settling on the WooWoo GT system. The composting process takes place in bins, located under the toilets, and takes 6 months to compost down, although we have bought more bins so we can leave them between seasons to ensure it is fully composted. The system we chose, unlike some composting toilets, does not rely on sun so are more suitable for the woods where we have located them. We also chose a system that does not require the separation of solids and liquids (easier for us all).

Inside the toilet cubicles the toilets have porcelain bases (much like regular ones) but the main difference is they don’t flush. Instead you add a handful of compost after each solid use. Like our previous hire there will also be sinks with running water in each cubicle which will go into a water tank before being drained in a temporary grey water filtration system. There are four cubicles in the container, the first one facing the outdoors is larger than the disabled portaloo, and more suitable for disabled access.

Not too dissimilar to what we are all used to

Now to answer a few of the questions…

Will they smell?

Probably the first thought everyone will have when the discussion moves to composting toilets. The answer is surprisingly no, not if enough sawdust is applied. After each solid use a handful of sawdust is added (no need after a wee). However, the system we have chosen is forgiving and allows for team or our cleaners to add sawdust to the system at regular intervals, in addition to after each use. The toilets themselves and cubicles will also have fans that will wisk away any smells.

We can guarantee that they will smell nicer than the portaloos we have had to hire in the past! We have been using one of the loos during the build, without a fan, and so far no smells.

Are they hygienic?

The toilet cubicle will be almost exactly like our hired toilets. They will even look fairly similar on the inside, with the only addition being a box for the sawdust. They will have running water in a proper sink for hand washing, although we don’t plan to add hot water to the system at this stage - we have built that in as a possibility in the future.

The cleaners will come in on the same basis to clean the floors, sinks and toilets. They may have to use different cleaning supplies for the toilet basin itself (with more organic cleaning products) but otherwise everything will be the same. So, in reality there should not be a difference in hygiene between these and the hired toilets.

Who will deal with the bins and compost?

We have a self-nominated poop-ivisor who is planning to oversee it in the initial years, but over time the team will be trained on how to monitor them and empty them after they have composted down.

Volunteers will not be asked to get involved with this process, unless they are interested. We may very occasionally ask for volunteers to help move the bins if full, but this will be like moving your wheely rubbish bin, and no one will be in contact with the contents during this process.

What happens to the compost?

There are several different options.

The first is that we will use some of the compost (once matured) to fill planters around the SHARP site, to bring a bit of colour and biodiversity to the area. We would also be happy to bag up some compost for locals. The only thing is that the compost should not be used on vegetable gardens, but for other plants, trees, and shrubs it is perfect.

The second option is we will potentially work with the Estate to spread compost and improve the nutrients in the woodland next to the campsite, or work with the village to provide any compost they may need.

The final option if we have compost left over is that it can be used in the backfilling process, especially if kept away from the water table.

What happens if something goes wrong?

The system we have chosen is very user-friendly, so we are not expecting problems. Other sites have had problems with composting toilets, but usually because they are in the shade when their system actually need the sun, unlike ours which will work in all conditions, or if they are contaminated with chemicals (from caravan toilets or too much bleach).

If something did go wrong however, as they are all in individual bins and we have extras, we can simply remove the affected bin and leave it to compost for a longer period of time. Left long enough, anything that was once living, will compost and add nutrients and structure back to the soil. If it was a problem that time could not solve, we would be able to investigate solutions such as paying for that bin to be pumped out.

Are there any rules specific to the composting toilets?

There are a few things you should be aware off when using the loos.

Firstly, before you enter make sure valuables are safely stored, phones in back pockets could fall out. Team will not be recovering anything that falls into the loo, and into the composting bin. We can provide tools for you to recover items.

When you do a number 2 please add a fistful of sawdust, there is no need for a number 1.

Please don’t put down sanitary products down the toilet, anything plastic based will not compost. Also avoid putting wet wipes or other items down that may include chemicals that will hinder the composting process.

I want to know more about composting

For more information the best place to go would be https://www.waterlesstoilets.co.uk/composting-process/

For more information on the science and safety data behind composting ‘humanure’, you can also check out the Humanure Handbook by Joe Jenkins.