permaculture

[richard wade <wade@coac.es>]

Hi marijana,
From my experience, the last line of your post holds the key. We have a 
vermicomposting toilet running for the past 4 years with really great 
results. For it to work well though, you need to think from the worms 
point of view. You've got to make the place a great place for worms.
So they need a moist place to live, a safe non-toxic place to play and 
freedom to roam, that is, access to all parts of the composting bin.
What's toxic? well, piss for example. Not in itself but from the amonia 
it contains. So you need to install a urine separator, or have another  
place to pee or *great* control. Also the mix of urine and feces gives 
rise to conditions for a certain bacteria that seems to have only one 
really important function, produce that stinky nasty smell tipical of 
badly working outhouses. Keeping piss out of the toilet changes the 
whole atmosphere.
As a bulking agent you need to use only organic material that worms can 
live in under normal conditions. No sawdust, shavings, and the like. (We 
use old partly rotted straw that worms have already begun to occupy. A 
handfull after each use.  Any other compostable material like leaves, 
wine pressings, etc. can be used. It's nice if it's clean to use and not 
too bulky. We chop up the straw before using it for ease of use.)  The 
condition is that worms can already live in it. Why?? well it seems that 
worms don't like fresh crap. Maybe because it also contains a bit of 
amonia. I don't really know. but the worms need access to and around 
until it looses its "untastfullness" (amonia?) , in a few days.
Our bin is a bit more than a meter long, and about 80cm wide. We 
designed double bins, but might just end up using only one. With worms 
that's posible. It's been over a year since we changed sides. There are 
a million ways to use the worms, and to get them out, but that is quite 
site specific and you can work that out yourself.
Hope this is of use
Regards
Richard





marijana@kneja wrote:

> hello permies,
> have anybody of you made a 'do it yourself ' compost toilet for use 
> inside the house? we builded a bio cleaner for greywater cleanong 
> last year, and we use it now only for the washing mashine waste 
> water. now we want to redirect all the greywater to the cleaner and 
> we need to separate the toilet from the sewage, that's why the 
> compost toilet. we are freaks and want to use recycled materials or 
> find cheap materials. any expirience with this, any schemes of such 
> toilet, expirience with composting of feces with worms ?
>
> thax everyone!
> love
> Marijana, Croatia
>
> www.kneja.hr
> www.ekosela.org the Balkan Ecovillage Network
>
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