Looks great!! This is far and away the best looking latrine I’ve ever seen.

In the first picture, it looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Is that just the camera angle? I have lots of questions, but I left them on the forum.

Congratulations to you and Anita for leading the way in showing your neighbors that there’s a better and uncomplicated way than polluting the river.

Yes – it is nice – I can’t take any credit though – it was Harvey’s building project.

I was guilty from you comment and straightened out the first photo btw – a guy just can’t get lazy on a Saturday afternoon. ;-0

Great blog today. I can also say from personal experience that compost works. Yes even humanure compost.

Nice setup, effective, and well designed. I used to use the old wooden outhouse with one hole on my grandma’s farm in the summers in NY State. No other organic material than human waste, and it was only cleaned when it was full. My uncles weren’t big on maintenance. It was always a smelly adventure, yipes.

Nice toilet seat … a luxury, no doubt.

“Nice toilet seat … a luxury, no doubt.”

Yes and padded at that All the comforts of home (on the range).
Juan

That thing’s built like a Brick Sh**House! (LOL) Pretty impressive, and I like the blue-tile details.

Do you put toilet paper in there too? I was so freaked out before I got to Mexico just thinking about not being able to put toilet paper in the toilet. It’s not as big a deal as I thought, but I was just curious if you throw it in that hole. That would be another benefit over regular toilet rooms in most of Mexico. Interesting.

Hi Emily – Yes white toilet paper composts totally – no problema. And yes I prefer that to the separate basket for the TP.

Juan

Hi from France !
Well done with your blue toilets.
I’m volunteer worker in an association that has made 4 compost toilets on wheels, so we can pull it with a car. And we go around in festivals to explain to people how it works. We’ve made a little entertainment, and people are very interested and open. Talk about it to your friends, that’s the best way to give back to earth our “organic rubbish” without leaving it in DRINKABLE water. Please, carry on

My questions would be this. How does this compost toilet vary from a outhouse? Is it the addition of leaves, papers, soil, small bits of cardboard,and what makes it ok to use in the garden?

yeah!!!!never know when are you going to use one of this specially when you having a great time exploring new lands,but my comment about it is this go to veracruz,mex and you”ll find out the most historic,nice,priceless place,and also the best food, people, beaches and much much fun there,why…..?because i am from there!!!

John, Well done¡ It was a wonderful trip. The highlights being a nice room for 13.76 U.S. per day. Above all going and being with great friends. Marv P.S. It was an adventure too¡ Marvin

Your compost toilet looks very aesthetic yet rustic, nice one for setting the example for others. I am planning to build one on a beach somewhere in Michoacan, and i was wondering about not separating the urine… did you have any problems with fluid build up, and how did you avoid that? How much kitchen and garden waste did you add every week? Did you ever stir the pile? And, most importantly, how much did it cost you to build the structure? Is it possible to build under $1000 pesos?
Gracias!

well done.
i do believe composting toilets are the beginning of the answer to improving global pollution.
why waste that stuff?
or worse, why pollute our drinking/swimming water?

what we need are cheap, less than $100, systems that can be set up every 100 meters in developed areas.

if anyone has a good plan, please let me know.

thank you all for your effort.
mahalo,

Juan,
Just finished teaching part of a lesson on Sewage Treatment to my 11th & 12th. grade Environmental Science class. During the lesson, among other things, I projected assorted schematics of composting toilets then had enough time to pull up photos of yours. The students know that I want to live in Mexico part of the year. Many of them can’t imagine why since for many of them their geographical knowledge is severly deficient (limited to the dry, barren terrains portrayed in lots of old westerns.) So before closing the class, I quickly showed them a photo of the cascadas at Teocelo and watched their faces change with appreciation of the raw beauty.

BJ

I am thinking of doing the same in Sri Lanka-why don’t you separte urine, I’ve heard this is recommended??

“why don’t you separate urine, I’ve heard this is recommended??”

You will find in the Humanure Book Joe Jenkins suggests this isn’t necessary – We tried it both ways and it makes no difference really except perhaps a bit soggy when emptying the bucket.

I imagine it might be in part a function of how your compost heap ‘works’. Here in our area it is so easy to compost. For a lot of people, especially starting out, the added step of separating and dealing with it is more than they want to face. Keeping it simple is certainly the best way – and just getting a bucket and some sawdust or leaves (we use the ladder and trying it out is sensible.

That has been out experience in any case.

John

before adding the egg shells to your compost pile, simply crush the shells with your feet.
all small matter breaks down more rapidly.
cudos for your composting toilet. i live in oklahoma and have a bucket in my outhouse and compost it all. thanks for the wownderful pics

well its very nice and clean looks well cared for.and diffrent ya

What a neat story, and great photos to go with it. It just goes to show you… never trust what a “realtor” tells you. Always double check their story!