Hello All,
Question and call for help!!! I am in the midst of building an eco-studio in Monona, Wisconsin. Trying to get a city OK to install an NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified composting toilet. Getting a lot of resistance due to ordinance that says no toilets allowed that are not hooked into city sewer. Anyone know what, if anything, Dane County, Wisconsin or any state municipality has done on this issue in the past? I'm sure you are all well aware of the sewage crisis worldwide. For a little mind candy check out these quick read articles from Time and CNN...
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1857113,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/13/es.toilet/index.html?eref=rss_health
Thanks for your help.
Dianné Aldrich
4Pillars4Health Eco-Studio, LLC
Composting Toilet Denial
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Dianne ?
Good luck. Municipal authorities the world over are far behind the technology available in composting and other forms of standalone sewage processing systems. Apart from the ultra-conservative approach they take on the grounds of risk to health, be aware that (and here comes the contentious bit) sewerage engineers do not take kindly to people threatening to reduce the amount of water flowing down their sewer pipes... it makes pumping harder ! They will never come out and say this but it?s behind a lot of irrational resistance to the use of high-quality standalone septic systems. A typical municipal sewerage treatment system consists of the transport system for moving toilet waste from source to treatment area plus the treatment system. Roughly 70% of the cost of constructing and operating these traditional systems is in the *transportation* of the waste to the treatment point. With a range of very high-quality standalone treatment systems available almost everywhere these days, it makes very little sense to totally reject applications to handle treatment on-site. Not everyone will want to do this anyway so municipal authorities should not worry about being inundated with applications. But there needs to be flexibility and not stubborn, iron-clad ignorance.
regards
Lisha K.
Tel: (07) 4781 6535
Mobile: 0438 011 550
Dianne,
The link below is to an Australian company producing septic tanks which are currently being used in cities around Australia. Unlike most of these biofilter type tanks this one uses very little energy, no chemicals and will handle the organics from household kitchen etc. preferably past through one of those blenders in the sink. The solids are processed by a bed of worms & microorganisms and the liquid passes through and can be use for sub surface irrigation. As with all living systems you need to be careful about putting nasty chemicals through it.
http://www.biolytix.com/index.php
Michael Moore
Solo Resource Recovery
181 Morphett Road
North Plympton SA 5037
Ph 08 8295 5077
Fax 08 8295 5778
Hi Dianne,
I'm super impressed by some of the waste initiatives being carried out around the world. No less the City of Lille, France using their organic waste to obtane methane as biofuel for public transport: http://www.biogasmax.eu/217-inauguration-of-the-organic-waste-valorization-center-in-sequedin.html Does any similar projects like this happening in Australia?
ANDY SIBLEY
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL
P. (02) 6626 7104
F. (02) 6684 3018
Reading the article from Time Magazine simply reminds me of how little most of us know about how our waste water is managed. The article asserts that the toilet is the only connection most of us have to our water treatment system, often referred to simply as the sewerage system! Like Time Magazine, very few people in our community know that all of their waste water goes to the sewer - water from the shower, the kitchen sink, the dishwasher! I think this is one of the greatest information barriers that we need to overcome if the community is to think seriously about recycling water - the sewers carry so much more than just pee and poo!
David Speller -
Senior Consultant / Manager
Context Pty Ltd
22 Merri Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
Tel: 03 9380 6933
Fax: 03 9380 4066
Email: [email protected]
A big THANK YOU to all on this list-serve that responded with helpful information. A new precedent has been set in this area and a door opened.
Happy Holidays!
Dianné Aldrich
http://4Pillars4Health.blogspot.com
POSTED BY MONONA ALDERMAN DOUG WOOD ON MONONADOUG.BLOGSPOT.COM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2008
Monona ZBA Approves Composting Toilet Labels: Dane County, Environment, Monona
You may have heard about Monona resident Dianne` Aldrich's efforts to get approval for a composting toilet. The Monona Zoning Board of Appeals approved the use of a composting toilet at its meeting last night. The Cap Times ran a pretty good story: RETHINKING THE COMMODE I'm told that NBC's story was somewhat juvenile on-air: http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/35515204.html Here is a detailed explanation of the decision from ZBA Chair Chad Speight: The Monona Zoning Board of Appeals ruled tonight, 3-1, to overturn the interpretation of the building inspector, hereby asserting the right of Monona residents to install composting toilets, in compliance with the Monona Plumbing Code and the Wisconsin Sanitation Codes. Composting toilets are allowed and regulated in WI Chapter Comm. 91, Sanitation. ?This chapter establishes minimum standards and criteria for the design, installation, and maintenance of sanitation systems and devices which are alternatives to water-carried waste plumbing fixtures and drain systems so that these sanitation systems are safe and will safeguard public health and the waters of the state.? While the state code clearly allows and regulates composting toilets, the city also has the right to impose more restrictive codes. The particular issue before the ZBA tonight was to determine if the Monona Plumbing Code prohibits the installation and use of a composting toilet. Previously, the building inspector had denied an application for installation of a composting toilet, citing Section 15-1-109(d) of the Monona Plumbing Code, which prohibits use of any ?outdoor toilet?,cesspool, septic tank, or other contrivance located thereon for collecting and disposing of sewage? The applicant, who was appealing this decision, argued that the composting toilet does not dispose of sewage, but that it ?converts by bacterial digestion non- liquid-carried human wastes or organic kitchen wastes, or both, into humus? (Wis Comm. 91.03 (2)). More importantly, and persuasive to the ZBA, the applicant argued that the Monona Plumbing Code does not apply to the composting toilet, since the entire definitions section of the plumbing code ((Sec 15-1-100) talks about the water supply and drainage systems; and the composting toilet is connected to neither system, by design. Thus, the prohibitions in the Monona Plumbing Code were intended to prohibit water-carried waste systems which did not connect to the municipal sewer. As the chairperson, I explained that I had come to the meeting prepared to uphold the inspector?s decision, and to deny the appeal, because I had agreed that the Monona Plumbing Code seemed to prohibit any ?contrivance? that was not connected to the municipal sewage system. Everyone on the board agreed that the Monona Code reflected sentiment from an earlier era when septic systems and outhouses were being replaced by our modern plumbing system. There was no obvious intent in Section 15-1-109 to outlaw composting toilets; but it seemed that the ordinance would need to be changed or updated. However, we also understood that Wisconsin State Codes are always applicable, unless specifically enhanced or restricted by local ordinances. Once the applicant showed that the local plumbing code is focused entirely on water-carried waste systems, then the composting toilet could not be reasonably included or excluded in a section dedicated to regulating water-carried waste. So the applicant will be allowed to install the composting toilet, which is regulated under state code, and will also be monitored by Dane County after proper permits are applied for. The Monona Council is still free to impose more restrictive codes on composting toilets, or to clarify the matter in the local plumbing code. I had planned to propose adoption of an ordinance which allows composting toilets, consistent with the standards that have been established by the State of Wisconsin. I will still do this, in part because composting toilets are a great example of the change we need. The recent flooding in Monona caused sewage back-ups into basements, and thousands of gallons of raw sewage were dumped into Lake Monona. If many people used composting toilets regularly, then discharges of raw sewage into Lake Monona would never happen. We all benefit by reducing waste, conserving fresh water, and improving our lake water quality. And just like the sewage system, which has enormous costs and negative consequences, the garbage and yard wastes that we put out to the curb create enormous costs to the taxpayer, with other negative consequences that get passed on to future generations. Reducing wastes, and finding ways to safely turn waste into fertilizer at the source, are important goals that help to make our community more sustainable. Alderman Chad Speight ZBA Chairperson posted by Monona Alderman Doug Wood on MononaDoug.blogspot.com
I believe that Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, US had to address some of those issues. There is information and contact info here: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/environmental/initiatives.php
Mary Whitney
University Sustainability Coordinator
412-365-1686
[email protected]
Chatham University Coolidge
120 Woodland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15232