Dry Toilets (DT)
The term DT-technology was introduced at the DRY TOILET 2003 conference. It was noted that when discussing dry toilets or sanitation issues often only the technical aspects are considered. In order to understand the larger picture DT-technology can be defined to include the following aspects:
1. Dry Toilets
2. Nutrient re-cycling
3. Water saving
4. Water protection
5. Hygiene. Promotion of better health through personal and environmental hygiene, which can be achieved by controlled management of toilet waste and education.
6. Equality. Women's and children's needs and rights are paid attention to in designing sanitation. Equality also means that no minority group of people is submitted solely to handling of human waste.
7. Good management of the whole chain from the dry toilet to the re-inducement of nutrients in the fields.
Functioning of Dry Toilet
Dry toilets are usually biologically driven systems. After each use of the toilet you add dried material like wood etc.
Within the toilet you have a collection container separated into two chambers. The fluids are separated from the solid waste. The chamber below collects the urin and is filled before the initial use with a small layer of dried material. Depending on the exact model you can have a volume for the urin chamber of 12 liters and the volume for the solid around 15 liters.
The chamber above has also a small layer of dried material before the initial use and collects faecal and toilet paper. After every toilet use you add a handful of dried material. So the waste is not visible and smell is directly blocked.
The dried material supports the composting process through biological processes with oxygen (and ventilation). So even if you empty the chamber you will experience hardly any smell. The compost should then go into the garde or any other suitable area.
Here are some pictures of the individual components like toilet itself, the dry material, the passive or active (wind powered) ventilation (click to enlarge):
Installation (German language) of dry toilets in houses etc.
As you can see the ventilation aerates the toilet and routes any smell outside so that the toilet room even during the use of the toilet is practically smell free.
Some of the urin evaporates through the ventilation, the sharp smell is blocked through the dry material.
Depending on the frequency of usage you need to manually empty the box if one of the chamber has reached its maximum capacity. This particular box is very easy, simple and hygienically save to handle and to empty.
