Back K. Morrison1, F. Cox2 and M. McGrath3
Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand1,
Montgomery and Watson Environmental and Engineering Consultants, Christchurch, New Zealand2 and
New Zealand Nature Farming Society (NZNFS), Christchurch, New Zealand3
Full Paper (PDF File: 20KB)
Abstract
The use of EM in an innovative composting toilet design is underway in
New Zealand. It has been developed at Lincoln University in response to
a serious waste management issue in Samoa. The introduction of "flush
pour" or "Peace Corp" toilets into Samoa in the 1960s had
a detrimental effect on the ground water. This is serious as ground water
is the main source of potable drinking water. Due to the lack of running
water, the "flush pour" toilet also brought about a water shortage.
Moreover, both adequate water borne waste management and existing commercial
composting toilets are far too expensive for the rural districts of Samoa,
and so the design of an appropriate composting toilet has been a high priority
for village development in rural Samoa.
The innovations present in the composting toilet design are a highly efficient urine and faeces separator, with a continuous composting process for the faeces and continuous self-sterilising process for the urine. The result is an easy to manage system that is both compact and inexpensive. Furthermore, the outputs are a urine-based liquid fertiliser and a compost fertiliser. Both fertilisers can be easily removed from the toilet on a regular basis without interrupting the operation of the toilet. EM is used in a fermentation process to produce a Bokasi that is fed through a hopper arrangement to form alternate horizontal layers with faecal deposits, with adequate airflow in a tropical temperature and humidity regime to give optimum aerobic composting conditions.