Composting Toilets

[Tom at MTI]

Sorry about tagging onto your post, I'm having a problem figuring out how to post on the website - not that computer literate I guess.  I'm looking for information about dry composting latrines.  I'm involved with a project in Tultitlan at the city dump, building latrines.   We've built about 30 family size latrines, have about 40 to go.  We need better educational materials about use of the latrines, in Spanish.  I've got the zoomzap posters, wonder if there is anything more out there.
Also, we're preparing to build some latrines for rural schools in Guanajuato state.  Are there designs for latrines of this type?
Thanks,
Tom at MTI

[Pedrocafe]

HI Tom,

I think that the ZoomZap stuff is some of the best and I know those folks check in here regularly - so perhaps they will also respond.  Also the Hesberian Foundation is just about to publish a major work that will have lots of information.  Let's keep in touch.

Yours for kids,

Peter Brown, Administrative Coordinator
Schools for Chiapas

[ZAP]

Hey there, Tom -

You can download most of our toilet manuals here: http://www.zoomzap.org/manuals/SES/download-esp.php

We actually have newer versions of most of them, but we have been terrible at updating our dingy old website. We'll upload the new versions tonight when we get back home. Assuming you're building separating toilets, the most useful are the first two below "Más descargas del SES".

I think that the Hesperian book Peter refered to has been out for a while now, and you can get the chapter that includes composting toilets here: http://www.hesperian.info/assets/environmental/EHB_Sanitation_ES_lowres.pdf

If you need more info, feel free to ask.

[Tom at MTI]

Thanks-  I've been looking at them.  I'll keep checking for new ones.
Tom Carter

[Tom at MTI]

I have a sort of scientific and medical background and have always had an interest in public health.  Somehow when I retired I got involved with these composting latrines.  Recently I saw a program that built latrines, but had little in the way of materials or staff for training and follow up. Also I didn't think there was enough community participation.  As a result it  didn't seem that the toilets were being used very well.  I'm trying to learn more and get more involved with these projects to see that there is better participation which I think will lead to better use of the latrines.
Tom Carter

[ZAP]

You're certainly hit the nail on the head there. Proper use and good maintenance is by far the most important aspect of a composting toilet system. If people aren't involved in the process and interested in using them right they will not work (they can easily become focal points for disease instead). Technically speaking composting toilets are extremely easy to build; the hard part is the follow-up. There is a project here in Chiapas that is run entirely by the compas that does a very good job of working with their communities on this. They have local and regional community health representatives who check in on all their toilets regularly and help people to deal with any unfamiliar problems that may come up. A lot of their latrines are nowhere near as pretty as others built by the government or big NGOs, but they work well and people are proud of them.

[Tom at MTI]

I've tried to contact a person named César Eñorve at an organization called CITA, in Cuernavaca.  They show various composting toilet "tazas" they have for sale, and a mold for making ones yourself.  Their website doesn't seem to work for me at least, and I've emailed unsuccessfully so far.  Anyone have suggestions?

[ZAP]

We know César Añorve. We've worked with him in Cuernavaca and here in Chiapas, and we've used his separating seat molds. What did you want to get from him?

[Tom at MTI]

Mostly just general information about the toilets.  I wrote to his website  -acua- a couple of times without a response.   Just yesterday though I did get a price list for the different toilets bowls they sell.  About $45 dollars US for the cement bowls and $80 - $100 for the fiberglass ones.  Does that seem about right?  It's a little higher than I had hoped for, I think the commercial ceramic ones are only about $120.
On their website they talk about providing information and help with training for  users of the toilets, which is the critical part I think.  We've already built a number of latrines, so what  we need is follow-up,  and that's what i'm working on now.
I'm also indirectly involved with a community development project in Peru, and I've thought about purchasing one of their molds for making cement toilet bowls.  It would make a nice community project in Peru, making bowls for their own use, and if legal making them to sell.
There's a fair possibility that I'll be in Cuernavaca later this year and it would be interesting to see his organization in person.
You mentioned earlier that you know of an effective organization there in Chiapas to help families with the upkeep and maintenance of their latrines.  How do they work?  Are they able to share ideas and materials with other groups?

[ZAP]

I'll email you with some other info on toilets, molds, and follow-up...