If you haven’t already read “The Humanure Handbook” I really highly recommend that you do. It is a simple, clean, and efficient solution to sanitation, responsible water management, and compost production improving your soil condition and your ability to produce food.
Here’s Joe Jenkins, the author, explaining the system to a group in Haiti…
I totally understand people’s hesitancy to try this but having used this system for about nine months now, I can personally guarantee- there is no odour, no mess, and no real work involved beyond emptying containers. Add to which we’re not using perfectly good water to poop in, electricity to pump said water, we’re not contaminating anything, and we’re producing wonderful compost that can be used at a later date in our gardens.
Fantastic! Well, as fantastic as poop gets.
We’re in a similar situation (and seem to hold remarkably similar values/imperatives) and a humanure setup is in our imminent future. I need to continually pare down what gets sent to the house’s septic tank, firstly because I think that ‘solution’ is bunk.
On a tangential note: I’d love to find out what your setup is for your drinking water supply, both at your existing house and your developing one. This has been dominating my time at our place, and I intend to post to my blog about the experience thus far.
It is a really neat system and I swear- no smell. That was my biggest concern, that and how GROSS it would be to empty buckets, but I have to say I’ve been really impressed by the whole thing.
Where can I find your blog?
Water- now there’s a story… I’m just on my way out for a new tamper though so I’ll drop a line later. Hoping to get back in time to tamp the last bag I laid before it sets up…