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rockies
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# Posted: 6 Mar 2018 19:27
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Well, it seems my composting toilet will not be permitted.
"Due to maintenance issues we've had in the past no composting toilets are permitted in the region".
Drat.
However, in the interests of saving water, I am planning on installing a waterless urinal in the powder room (there's still a full use toilet in the bathroom).
https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/All-Products/Energy-Water-Air-Toilets-Urinals/Zer oFlush-Waterless-Urinal
Anyone else using a home urinal?
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 7 Mar 2018 14:09
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Quoting: rockies Anyone else using a home urinal?
You mean pee in a bucket and dump it outside? 
No, never 
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 7 Mar 2018 20:40
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Quoting: rockies Well, it seems my composting toilet will not be permitted.
By what authority?
The state?
The county?
hah
Feds (in the US) say it's fine, recommend it, push for it.
and
overrule local authorities
Home urinal?
I have one
it's over two acres
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rockies
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2018 20:03 - Edited by: rockies
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Which one.........? Decisions, decisions.......
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socceronly
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2018 14:55
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Where was this?
I thought many places would accept this.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2018 19:01
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When we purchased our property we asked about using a composting toilet. The powers that be told us that we could have one but would still need a septic system. Their concern was grey water. They said that you could not discharge grey water on the ground and needed a septic system. We ended up putting in a full system and now are glad we did. Even though it is a pain and costs lots of money, in the long run you will be happier with a legal, approved system. No worries about the government coming along and slapping non-compliance decals on your cabin in the future.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2018 19:13
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This is in BC Canada. The people at the building permit department said that they've had people in the past who haven't maintained their composting toilets properly so no composting toilets are allowed.
I was planning on using a "urine separating toilet" which is an even better option than a regular composting toilet but they still wouldn't allow it.
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ICC
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2018 19:14
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Quoting: hattie They said that you could not discharge grey water on the ground and needed a septic system. We ended up putting in a full system and now are glad we did.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2018 20:38
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rockies - I am also in BC Canada - in the Southern Interior
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2018 20:54
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Quoting: rockies "Due to maintenance issues we've had in the past no composting toilets are permitted in the region".
I don't know that much about c- posting toilets. What do you do with the doo when ur done? ( sounds like a Hank Jr. song ) 💩â”â“Do u put it in a tank, on your garden compost pile, or in a hole just like an outhouse?
Do the inspectors make sure you empty the bucket regularly. Or do they check where you dump it later?
Do they allow outhouses? Maybe you could use a self contained toilet. But you still have to deal with the dump.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2018 11:18
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I use a Thetford Curve toilet in my cabin for middle of the night pee breaks.
It is as advertised, odor free. I usually empty it before heading home, but there has been a couple times where I had forgotten and it stewed all week (or more) in hot, July temps. there was absolutely no odor, till you opened the flush valve. Then it was like you cracked open the gates to hell. I run a de-humidifier in the summer and I use the water from it fill the flush water reservoir.
We cannot have a well or septic on our site, so this was a suitable compromise. We also have a Johnny on the spot, and haul in water for washing and drinking. It costs up $30 to have the Johnny emptied, but I am thinking of doing it myself from now on. A guy down there has a 300 gallon "water cube" that he cut a hole in the top and siliconed a standard shop-vac head onto. He added a 3" RV dump valve, and 10' of 3" flex hose with a 4' hunk of stainless pipe at the end. Throw the pipe in the tank. Open the valve and turn on the shop-vac and it will suck every last little thing out of it.
He has it mounted to a small trailer and he has two 40 gallon water barrels on it with an RV pump to rinse the 'wand' and refill the Johnny. He then hauls it to a dump station and empties the water-cube. I could make the whole thing for about $300. That's pretty much just over a year of dumps.
tim
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2018 19:19
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Darz:
No composting toilets, no out houses, no drain lines to the exterior for liquids. If you do get to install a composting toilet then the compost is usually "finished" in a pile outside and then you are allowed to use it around plants that aren't to be eaten or produce fruit that can be eaten.
A urine separating toilet has a separate container for the liquids (which must be emptied every few days) while the solids drop into a standard composting bin contained within the toilet unit. This is a much better method since the addition of urine to the composting medium can stop the anabolic breakdown of the waste for several hours. No added urine, no stoppage and you get compost much sooner.
Hattie: If you're in the east Kootenay's region you won't get your toilet approved. You may not get it approved now if you should ever have to add one.
I think the addition of a urinal is a sound method for handling typical "guy usage". The lowest dual flush toilet still uses about 0.8 gallons of water per flush (which is the setting meant only for liquids) but a Kohler urinal I'm looking at uses 0.125 gallons of water to get rid of the same amount of liquid.
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hattie
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2018 14:23
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Quoting: rockies Hattie: If you're in the east Kootenay's region you won't get your toilet approved. You may not get it approved now if you should ever have to add one.
I'm in the Similkameen. We already have our septic system installed. We did it when we purchased our cabin because there wasn't a system in place. It was required by law to have an approved septic system. It was our only option.
When we added and built a small motel, we had to expand our septic system to accommodate the extra toilets. Luckily we had room to do it. We are very glad we went the legal route because we know of too many people who have not and now face big problems.
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ILFE
Member
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2018 15:04
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Not that I am pro composting toilet, because I am not crazy about them. (I am spoiled by my "normal" flushing toilet and my "bum gun".) But, I am about not wasting water either, even though I live in a country where it rains for half, if not more than half of the year.
But, this is just another reason I haven't resided in the US for almost 20 years. Here in Cambodia, you can do what you wish with your own land. No one interferes with others here, certainly not the government. I just grow weary of seeing how government agencies can dictate what you do with your land, when you can simply put the waste in a bin, later using it for your garden.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2018 19:15
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ILFE: I hesitate to ask........but what is a "bum gun"?
In truth, I feel that Govt regulation is absolutely necessary when it comes to water usage and waste disposal. I certainly wouldn't want to install my well and then find out that my waste system (or lack thereof) is contaminating it. I do think that people should probably spend more time and effort on testing their water (right when they first put in a well and also more frequently afterwards).
I don't really mind having to put in a septic system, but I do want to minimize the water usage (and I've never been the type to head out and "water" the landscape) so I think adding a urinal is the way to go.
Still, once the water is out of the ground I still have to filter, disinfect and decontaminate it before storage. It's like building a mini city water plant just for one cabin.
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ILFE
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2018 19:50 - Edited by: ILFE
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rockies,
Sorry for the late reply.
Quoting: rockies ILFE: I hesitate to ask........but what is a "bum gun"?
Um, it would be a poor man's bidet. 
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2018 18:21
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Whew, I thought it might be a high pressure garden hose :0
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ILFE
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2018 18:42
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Quoting: rockies Whew, I thought it might be a high pressure garden hose :0
I guess that depends on the water pressure coming through the lines. Here in SEA, it may be 8 psi, or 80 psi, depending on the time of day! 
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socceronly
Member
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2018 10:06
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Can't people not maintain a septic as well? I can't see that as a reasonable explanation for banning composting toilets.
There are also grey water filters you can buy.
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Eddy G
Member
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2018 10:40
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I posted a thread on the one I made...not sure how to direct you to it but here's a picture
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