permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <london@metalab.unc.edu>]

Mark Lomas:

This thread was posted to the permaculture mailing list
and has aroused my curiousity about something I have been meaning to ask
about, namely:

Regarding reed bed wastewater tratment systems:

1) are they used exclusively for treating grey water,
i.e. from laundry, bath and dish washing 
or

2) for all household sewage, including toilet

If not used for 2) what modifications would be needed to
adapt them for that purpose

3) if 1) is the case, could reed beds be coupled in serial
with a conventional concrete, below ground (though in this case probably
would need to be above ground) septic tank, the kind usually connected to
a leach field using perforated drain pipe?
The septic tank would anaerobically digest the solids so that a reedbed
system could handle such input; OR would the concrete septic tank need to
be replaced by system of partitioned open tanks, possibly some portion of
which or all of which would have to exist in a greenhouse or sunspace - a
unit that would contain a variety of lifeforms in an aquaculture or
aquaponic system to predigest the solids prior to final purification by a
reedbed system connected in serial with it?


<><><><><>

Here's the thread:

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 4:25:53
From: Beverley <rnbpaine@camtech.net.au>
To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: composting toilets

Hello,

Beverley from South Australia here - new to this list. I am researching 
composting toilets at the moment. We already have a clivus multrum we have 
been using successfully for years, but have two small buildings our 
adolescents are using that we'd like to put facilities in for them. Any 
experience out there with low cost appropriate technology composting 
toilets? Or flush toilet systems where the water is used several times? 
Looking forward to some info and discussion.

Beverley

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Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 08:34:58 EST
From: Permacltur@aol.com
To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: composting toilets


In a message dated 10/31/99 5:26:54 AM, rnbpaine@camtech.net.au writes:

<<Hello,

Beverley from South Australia here - new to this list. I am researching 
composting toilets at the moment. We already have a clivus multrum we have 
been using successfully for years, but have two small buildings our 
adolescents are using that we'd like to put facilities in for them. Any 
experience out there with low cost appropriate technology composting 
toilets? Or flush toilet systems where the water is used several times? 
Looking forward to some info and discussion.

Beverley>>

Beverly:
    thre is a whole new internet discussion group forming on this theme, 
headed by Jacky Foo.  Unfortunately, I don't have his email address right at 
hand.  If you don't get the info from someone else, check with me around the 
end of this month.   (I'll be away helping my daughter and her husband close 
in their new house before winter, and my internet acess will be expensive 
during that time.   So please wait.)

    the best system for a family is the double vault toilet.   Almost anyone 
on this list can describe it to you.  There is an awful design out of New 
Hampshire with bells, whistles and more moving parts than a carnival, but 
actually they are very simple to design and requre no moving parts except two 
tightly fitting doors on hinges.  

    The composting toilet discussion group came out of a discussion of 
community excreta processing and recycling systems.   There is probably an 
archive.  SOMEBODY on this list likely has Jacky Foo's address.

Dan Hemenwahy

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since 
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses, 
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence 
courses via email. Our online course began Oct. 24, late registrations 
accepted.  Copyright, 1999, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52, Sparr FL 
32192 USA.  Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com  

We don't have time to rush.

A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at 
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers 
assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html  

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Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 10:42:36 -0500
From: Jack Rowe <jackrowe@compuserve.com>
To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: composting toilets


Jacky Foo's e-mail for the Integrated Biosystems work is:

mailto:ias-wg09@ias.unu.edu

His web address (probably better since sign-up is easier, esp. for Dr. Foo)
for the Integrated Biosystems lists is:

http://www.ias.unu.edu/vfellow/foo/ibs/icibs/index.htm

Dr. Foo has put together some great Internet conferences on a number of
very practical sustainability topics. Check it out!

Jack Rowe

http://www.ias.unu.edu/vfellow/foo/ibs/icibs/index.htm

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<><><><>

Lawrence F. London, Jr.  Venaura Farm
http://metalab.unc.edu/permaculture  
/intergarden /intergarden/orgfarm /ecolandtech
lflondon@mindspring.com  london@metalab.unc.edu