Help design & build better "Tankwa Toilets"!

[--c]

I've been involved with AfrikaBurn since 2007, most of the time with DPW. There is one aspect of the AB event that I feel desperately needs some focused attention & that is the toilets. Not so much the toilets themselves as what's done with the waste afterwords. It's been common practice @ AB to throw paraffin & diesel onto the previous year's dried up waste, set it alight & stir. If that doesn't work(often the case) take it to a secluded spot in the desert, make & big pile, add paraffin & diesel & burn. After AB2011 DPW crew were told to dump & burn the shit in the big Fire-pit(theDoughnut) ...!!?? As the number of burners attending seem to double each year, this problem will surely get worse until we do something about it.

I started spending more time in the garden in 2011 & subsequently started reading a lot about soil composition, composting, microorganisms etc. which led me to understand more about how matter breaks down naturally & how one can speed up these processes. Composting toilets are nothing new, however I see an opportunity to start a dedicated “Research & Development” project aimed at investigating all currently available technologies & put them into practice in the form of a working prototype at AB2012. The prototype could be presented as an interactive artwork to stimulate debate around the subject, whilst also inspiring the broader burner community to get involved.

So, what I am proposing to achieve is a conferencing space to encourage & facilitate a debate around better toilets in Tankwa Town. The space itself housing at least 3 fully functional composting toilets. This project would be open for anyone to contribute to & I would imagine that it will keep evolving past the 2012 AB event to the point where we can apply some/all tried & tested technologies to better all the tankwa toilets.

This project would need a small team of motivated individuals, dedicated to making this happen. My (skills)background is in architecture, design & natural building technologies, we would definitely need some people experienced in dealing with decomposing human waste matter &/or composting toilets in general. If you can contribute to this project in any way & u'd like to get involved, please lemme know by replying to this post ASAP!

--c

[metastofasis]

We have a product called BioMagic. You can go and do some research online, but it is the same product that is used on the island of Guernsey for their entire sewage requirements. If you just had to pour BioMagic into the toilets, it would seriously accelerate the decomposition process. We used it in our Porta Potti in 2010 and it worked a treat. Last year we just used sawdust in buckets, and that also worked for us. What made the sawdust more practical was that there were too many of us for our Porta Potti.
What you do is to take an empty 25 litre bucket and sprinkle some sawdust on the bottom. When you poop, do not dispose of your paper in the bucket, but in a separate packet. Take a scoop of sawdust and cover your poop with it. You won't believe how effectively it prevents the smell. Take the lid and keep it closed until needed again. Repeat until the bucket is full, then take back with you. As it is, you are bringing the buckets full of sawdust anyway, so just take them back. You may need another couple if you are a large group. The sawdust also helps the poop to bio-degrade. The paper is the issue. If you drop it in, it causes smells. Do not do that. You could perhaps try and use this system in your longdrops, but DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO OVERFLOW. This happened last year as you are aware. Maybe a toilet marshall could monitor when the loo's should be closed for business. So now there is MOOP, SOOP & POOP. For the BioMagic, call me or mail me and I will get you more info. Please note: this product was designed for this specific purpose and is not used in SA due to costs. It would be a relatively affordable way for AB however as your needs are far smaller.

[--c]

I can see how natural accelerants such as BioMagic, Bokashi etc. would have a place in the development of a final solution, but the challenge is a bit more complicated as people tend to throw all kinds of non biodegradable goodies down there. This could only be solved through some form of creative "Potty Training".


Personally I've been moving towards a contained above ground solution that wouldn't require anymore digging. The toilets would be on a raised platform connected to the containers below via a metal/plastic tube with a custom "quick lock & release" system. We would be able to replace containers as needed without having to remove the toilets & te full ones can then be sealed up. Ideally solids & liquids would be seperated with the liquid container half filled with straw as urine breaks down straw & straw neutralises the acidity in urine the product of which being compost.
oildrum containers.jpg

I built a mockup of such a system in 2010 on a farm in the Baviaanskloof to see how it would be put together. its really not that complicated, but things could be different once in use.
Picture 005.jpg

There's also passive Solar solutions that works like a solar oven to incinerate waste matter for which we have the perfect conditions at AB

[--c]

an example from the ThunderBox collective....

Thunderbox >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EteG_TvUBg

This is nice - alotta work has gone into getting this system just right. I dunno about those IBC containers though, they seem to work really good in terms of the volume(1000litres) they can hold & the square shape is very practical for building a 2 seats & structure around, but they are expensive & I can imagine that it can get tricky getting the contents outa there.

In the AB case I think Oil barrels would work a bit better, their cheap & very common - 160 litres per barrel is enough if you're separating liquids & solids into two barrels. All the barrels would need a clamp on lid that has been modified to connect with "solids & liquids" inlets from the toilet above respectively. The existing toilets at AB use oil barrels buried in the ground & in my experience the volume is ok apart from a few reports of some toilets overflowing in 2011, but if you can replace full barrels that solves the problem. ...the barrels would also have to be connected to a central vent of coarse.

One can also use wheelie bins (200+ litres), but they're also expensive not as robust & it'll take a bit of work to get them air tight while in use & after, otherwise you'll have odour problems. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable handling a wheelie bin full of shit though.

Humanure(using wheelie bins) >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWzTgHM4Ar8[/url]

[Senor Neek]

Anything that prevent folks sh!##ing all over the place gets my vote.

[--c]

Tankwa Toilet D07.jpg Toilet Seat.jpg
Here are some drawings of a possible seating arrangement, with central ventilation shaft running up & outwards. the lids on either side of the toilet seat are for storage: Sawdust/xtra toiletpaper/EM Bokashi etc. a Maximum of three people can be accomodated with this design. If u don't want company u can just lock the door behind you & have all three loos to yourself.

...Ofcourse, there needs to be some kinda shell over the entire structure for privacy.
Toilet Needs Door.jpg ...or maybe... Hatch on Site.jpg This egg shaped design would be covered in a yellow/golden mesh fabric, so you won't see the window openings from outside, in bright sunlight, but you'll still have a view when seated inside the space.

I will start to put it together using whatever I can find around these parts. I definitely need a hand with this, so if anyone's keen to help out in any way lemme know.

[DMV_wayne]

Attachment 70 Attachment 71
a few reports of some toilets overflowing in 2011, but if you can replace full barrels that solves the problem. ...

This statement will make a lot of people shudder. It is a lot of work.

Personally, I like the current design. It's practical, as environmentally friendly as can be and does not require too much on site work once the festival starts. There were no smells this year. I also never used the portaloo's at all. Normally, they stink, they use chemicals and they are fucking greedy for all kinds of shit.

I do not want to stare at someone having a shit next to me.