Read

[Nils Dahl]

Everyone should read this to get up to speed on different processes… We may want to take a more serious look at Privies.

http://www.kdheks.gov/nps/lepp/ChVIIIWaterConservingFinal.pdf

nils

[Nils Dahl]

Another… http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/toilets.html

Composting might be more difficult and not deliver the results we are looking for. Need to talk about this sooner rather than later.

nils

[Eric De Feo]

really interesting articles. read the second one, scanning the first one now.

well composting still poses a really interesting design/engineering challenge. those vectors he listed, esp concerns for spreading pathogens is an important issue: 

"The biggest possible problem, as I see it, is the potential for composting toilets to become a habitat to vectors. These can be any critter that can carry a pathogen to a more common human living environment. These include flies, moths, mosquitoes, other flying insects, mice, rats, voles, etc. They can gain access to the piles in the most ingenious ways."

The need for daily maintenance seems to be overkill. We really need to talk to the Schuylkill Park people. 

here's another one: http://theorganicsister.com/on-composting-toilets-and-humanure/

But yeah, in a way, there's a ton of work in just figuring out a composting system suitable for public use

Creative ways to deal with vectors that do not involve chemical inoculation include:
·  Increase maintenance to daily if need be (this could knock out the breeding cycle of the vector, if it has established a colony, by destroying the larvae)
·  Shut off access to the piles by the vector. (e.g. fix a screen or locate a mouse chew hole)
·  Make the compost piles unfit for the vector's home (add blood meal, cool the piles down or heat the piles up)

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upenn m.arch + m.s.e. '13

ericdefeo.com / 914.772.2828