This is the initial design sent to us by Journeyman International.
They planned to have three squat toilets and a large pit underneath to collect the waste before it is retrieved for composting. The access door on the side is designed for someone to crawl underneath to retrieve the waste. We were challenged to develop an easy way to move the waste from under the latrine to the compost pile. |
Our Response
We expressed some concern that they didn't have a clear way to retrieve the waste already built in to the design, and feared that, once built, people would give up on cleaning it and let it become another septic tank. In order to improve the quality of the latrine and the ease of composting, we gave them the following suggestions:
We even suggested they don't continue with construction until they know how they will retrieve the waste, but pressure from the different stakeholders and momentum from the project pushed them forward. They are optimistic they can figure it out as they go.
- Urine diverter to keep solid and liquid waste separate
- Lids to prevent smell and insects from escaping
- Ventilation system to improve decomposition
- Sloped floor to make retrieval somewhat easier
- Emptying the septic tank to practice composting
We even suggested they don't continue with construction until they know how they will retrieve the waste, but pressure from the different stakeholders and momentum from the project pushed them forward. They are optimistic they can figure it out as they go.