Are Outhouses eco friendly?

[topless_mike]

Oracle,
Sittin on the can just a few minutes ago gots me thinkin.

Would using an out house be more eco friendly than normal plumbing systems?
I mean, we taketh from earth, wouldnt it be nice to giveth back?
Dig hole, use until full, cover, relocate outhouse. Maybe only use from like, april until early nov?

[Aggie]

Oracle,
Sittin on the can just a few minutes ago gots me thinkin.

Would using an out house be more eco friendly than normal plumbing systems?
I mean, we taketh from earth, wouldnt it be nice to giveth back?
Dig hole, use until full, cover, relocate outhouse. Maybe only use from like, april until early nov?

can't it contaminate the water supply if enough people did this? i thought that's what used to happen in the pre-plumbing days and third world countries.

[RhinoinMN]

Ask ToiletCrusher. He should be here any minute.

[Jujubees2]

can't it contaminate the water supply if enough people did this? i thought that's what used to happen in the pre-plumbing days and third world countries.

If you use a well I would think so.

[Suspect Chin]

Why not just rent a port-a-john and have it swapped out every couple weeks?

[KatPw]

Oracle,
Sittin on the can just a few minutes ago gots me thinkin.

Would using an out house be more eco friendly than normal plumbing systems?
I mean, we taketh from earth, wouldnt it be nice to giveth back?
Dig hole, use until full, cover, relocate outhouse. Maybe only use from like, april until early nov?

Are you talking traditional outhouse (like Little House of the Prairie) or modern composting toilets? Composting toilets are still used and do not leech into groundwater. There was a British documentary called It's Not Easy Being Green (Sundance showed it) and the family uses an outhouse system for urine and a composting toilet for solid matter.

[Thebazile78]

can't it contaminate the water supply if enough people did this? i thought that's what used to happen in the pre-plumbing days and third world countries.

That's exactly what happens.

The groundwater gets contaminated by fecal bacteria (ew) and puts the rest of the population at risk for all kinds of fun infections, ranging from simple e. coli to dysentery and cholera.

And it doesn't matter whether you use well water or municipal water. Contaminated groundwater is a big deal. That's part of how you end up with spinach and lettuce e. coli outbreaks!

Are you talking traditional outhouse (like Little House of the Prairie) or modern composting toilets? Composting toilets are still used and do not leech into groundwater. There was a British documentary called It's Not Easy Being Green (Sundance showed it) and the family uses an outhouse system for urine and a composting toilet for solid matter.

That's a key difference. As I understand it, composting toilets are effectively recycling plants for solid wastes.

There's a reason we have sewage treatment plants and why you're not supposed to compost poopy-dipe liners from gDiapers (http://www.gdiapers.com) - feces carry with them a lot of nasty bacteria (mentioned above) that will wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

[A.J.]

Those latrines on M*A*S*H* didn't look all that sanitary -- or comfortable.

[A.J.]

feces carry with them a lot of nasty bacteria (mentioned above) that will wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

So every time a bear shits in the woods, he fucks up the environment more than man ever could.

WHERE IS AL GORE ON THIS THREAT????

[Thebazile78]

Those latrines on M*A*S*H* didn't look all that sanitary -- or comfortable.

In one episode, the officers' latrine blew up (live grenade or 5 o'clock Charlie; I forget which) and Fr. Mulcahy was in there next to Col. Blake ...

[A.J.]

In one episode, the officers' latrine blew up (live grenade or 5 o'clock Charlie; I forget which) and Fr. Mulcahy was in there next to Col. Blake ...

And Lt. Col. Blake almost lost his stateside toilet paper that his wife sent for their anniversary.

[sailor]

So every time a bear shits in the woods, he fucks up the environment more than man ever could.

WHERE IS AL GORE ON THIS THREAT????

Dammit, I wanted to ask why bears shittin in the woods wasn't an issue.

[Jujubees2]

Dammit, I wanted to ask why bears shittin in the woods wasn't an issue.

Does a bear shit in the woods? Has anyone actually seen a bear taking a dump in the woods?

[opie's twisted balls]

Does a bear shit in the woods?
Yes Virginia bears to poop in the woods

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Back to the topic at hand. The depth of the shitter has a lot to do with how many people are going to be using it and where the water table is. The more people who use it, the deeper it needs to be vs. the higher the water table the more shallow of a crap hole. Most natural pit outhouses (which are absolutely evil places to take a dump) in these parts are dug to ~6' deep and the water table is much much lower (usually >100') so there's not much of a chance of ground water contamination.

[SatCam]

Just don't get locked in



http://hopeforyourfamily.theobloggers.com/files/2009/04/slumdog-millionaire-outhouse1.jpg

[Chigworthy]

That's exactly what happens.

The groundwater gets contaminated by fecal bacteria (ew) and puts the rest of the population at risk for all kinds of fun infections, ranging from simple e. coli to dysentery and cholera.

And it doesn't matter whether you use well water or municipal water. Contaminated groundwater is a big deal. That's part of how you end up with spinach and lettuce e. coli outbreaks!



That's a key difference. As I understand it, composting toilets are effectively recycling plants for solid wastes.

There's a reason we have sewage treatment plants and why you're not supposed to compost poopy-dipe liners from gDiapers (http://www.gdiapers.com) - feces carry with them a lot of nasty bacteria (mentioned above) that will wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

Actually, a properly made outhouse uses a mini septic system to process waste, and septic systems are far more environmentally-friendly than municipal sewer systems. Rural septic systems are heavily regulated on where they can be in relation to ground water tables and waterways.

There are a few reasons why a septic systems is "greener" than a sewer. One is the concentration of waste. In a rural area, each residence processes it's own waste on site, while with a municipal system, you have a dangerous concentration of the waste at one place, the treatment plant. Treatment plants in our country are miracles of modern technology, and they do a great job of processing large amounts of waste into nontoxic sludge. Unfortunately, they often can't deal with a heavy load, and are forced to overflow raw waste into the environment. This happens a lot during the winter months, when the ground is saturated with water, and the sewers are more full.

Another reason would be the energy expenditure required to process waste on a municipal scale. A septic system uses nothing more than water, mechanics and the chemical reactions of naturally-occurring bacteria which process the waste. A municipal plant uses a lot of energy just to transport/pump the waste to the plant. Then, more energy is used to move the waste through various mechanical, biological, and chemical treatments before it is clear.

Another reason is the fact that a person who relies on a septic system is not likely going to abuse it by disposing of nasty chemicals and garbage into the system, because if the system fails, that person will have to personally deal with the shit.

It's kind of like the slow food movement that stresses eating and consuming locally in that the closer to home that you shit, the less impact it has on the environment.

[Thebazile78]

Actually, a properly made outhouse uses a mini septic system to process waste, and septic systems are far more environmentally-friendly than municipal sewer systems. Rural septic systems are heavily regulated on where they can be in relation to ground water tables and waterways.

There are a few reasons why a septic systems is "greener" than a sewer. One is the concentration of waste. In a rural area, each residence processes it's own waste on site, while with a municipal system, you have a dangerous concentration of the waste at one place, the treatment plant. Treatment plants in our country are miracles of modern technology, and they do a great job of processing large amounts of waste into nontoxic sludge. Unfortunately, they often can't deal with a heavy load, and are forced to overflow raw waste into the environment. This happens a lot during the winter months, when the ground is saturated with water, and the sewers are more full.

Another reason would be the energy expenditure required to process waste on a municipal scale. A septic system uses nothing more than water, mechanics and the chemical reactions of naturally-occurring bacteria which process the waste. A municipal plant uses a lot of energy just to transport/pump the waste to the plant. Then, more energy is used to move the waste through various mechanical, biological, and chemical treatments before it is clear.

Another reason is the fact that a person who relies on a septic system is not likely going to abuse it by disposing of nasty chemicals and garbage into the system, because if the system fails, that person will have to personally deal with the shit.

It's kind of like the slow food movement that stresses eating and consuming locally in that the closer to home that you shit, the less impact it has on the environment.

OK, that's true. But the original post was just about digging a trench and shitting there. That's unsanitary. If you're going modern, then, yeah, you have other options.

The sole drawback to a septic system is maintenance. You have to drain it every few years or so, keep an eye out for tree roots and make sure it's in good working order. Lots of folks aren't capable of doing that!

The septic system up by my dad's is nasty, but he can't afford to replace it. If he'd known before buying the house, he might have rolled the replacement costs into his pre-closing contract. ('Course the guy who owned the house probably would've balked at that and they wouldn't have gotten the house ... which wouldn't have been such a bad thing!)

[topless_mike]

There are a few reasons why a septic systems is "greener" than a sewer. One is the concentration of waste. In a rural area, each residence processes it's own waste on site, while with a municipal system, you have a dangerous concentration of the waste at one place, the treatment plant. Treatment plants in our country are miracles of modern technology, and they do a great job of processing large amounts of waste into nontoxic sludge. Unfortunately, they often can't deal with a heavy load, and are forced to overflow raw waste into the environment. This happens a lot during the winter months, when the ground is saturated with water, and the sewers are more full.

you said load
heh heh heh

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IiAFcfNAJmA/SqkOCljhPLI/AAAAAAAAA14/wyvsXZBLiHk/s320/bandb.jpg