Using the bog in dwellings

Copout: while every effort has been made to bring you good advice I can't be held responsible for any mistakes or use you may make of this advice

Any kiwi toilet installed in a fixed building should comply with building regulations. A joint Australia and NZ standard for Waterless composting toilets has been developed by a committee composed of representatives of both countries. This standard falls under the broad title of AS/NZS 1546.2:2001 On-site domestic-wastewater treatment units with the specific heading Part 2: Waterless composting toilets.

We carefully read this standard before designing our toilet. We believe that our bog does meet this standard but it has not yet been subjected to the process of accreditation under the standard. If we ever make any money out of this we will spend some on seeking accreditation.

While most of the document is just common sense there is a specific requirement

"2.4.1.2 Small Pedestal Opening

If an air space is used in the design and there is a small pedestal opening, typically 60-70cm, the distance between the user and the expected top of the waste pile shall not be less than 200mm."

Our bog has a pedestal opening of 120mm and we believe that a typical full bucket would still meet this requirement.

If the bog is to be installed on a concrete pad then it is important to consider the positioning of the urine outlet pipe. While the pipe itself is only 36mm or so the coupling requires 50mm. So any hole cut in a solid base should allow room for the whole coupling to exit from the bogs' front base.

Although the bog is quite attractive you may wish to consider running the flue pipe inside the wall behind your bog. This is quite a practical option where the wall board is less then 14mm thick.

Disposal of Urine from a dwelling is also a matter for consideration. If the site is well above the water table and there is no chance of urine seeping quickly to a waterway or lake, then a soak hole might be appropriate. Any soak hole should be sited as far from the dwelling as practically possible where people would not normally go or play.

Digging a Soak Hole

A meter in every dimension is a suitable size. Before digging carefully remove the top grass and soil in blocks to be replaced afterwards. Almost fill the hole with sand, rocks, pebbles and gravel before placing the end of your urine pipe between larger protective rocks near the surface. Cover the soak with a heavy wood before placing back the grass blocks.

Check out the links page where there are some commercial waste water treatment systems. When these are used urine from your bog may be able to join the system without any difficulty. The dilution of urine by the addition of sink and shower water is particularly useful if you want to take advantage of the fertilizing benefits of urine.

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