Portable Compost Latrine Construction

Finished interior, with mens' urinal at right

There is not much on this planet that I enjoy more than a good construction project. Building in the 3^rd World, with minimal tools and access to hardware only makes the game more interesting. My latest joy is a 3 hour build that turned out quite nicely. I had the help of one of Leo’s friends who had nothing better to do than hold wood for the Gringo. Half way into the construction, we had attracted quite a crowd of curious onlookers, being right on the PanAm Hwy. They were enthralled by my DeWalt battery drill. They took turns trying it out and saving me tons of screwing. I think I could have even pulled a Huck Finn and charged them. Like I say, not much better than coming home soaked in sweat, covered in sawdust with a big smile on my face. Here’s what we built:

 

Floor framing with some corner posts

Portable Dry Composting Latrine

It is a mouthful to say, but that is my “new” concept for an inexpensive and practical 3^rd World toilet solution. The small size makes it portable and inexpensive – about $164 of local materials and 3 hours labor for a carpenter and assistant. The simple design means that less skilled folks can build it.

The basic design is not new – I first saw it in Will Pono Jensen’s annex village of Roldan in Peru. It was sold as a kit by Eternit – the big plastic water tank manufacturer. The Town of Quilmana purchased a lot of the units and they worked quite well. One of the really nice features was a fiberglass seat instead of the typical nasty latrine hole. The idea of the kit was that it required only 4 people to lift it to a new location, when the latrine hole was filled.

Finished product, painted with tin roof - 3 hours total

The only things I have really added are the superb plastic (urine-diverting) toilet seat that Global Brigades found and uses, plus using painted plywood instead of Super-Board (Hardy Board) to save on weight and cost. My design also uses just 2 sheets of light ply (very efficiently) and a small part of heavy ply for the floor. Separating the urine from the poo drastically decreases the gases and odors. This meant adding a men’s urinal (why can’t men sit down and pee?) made from a 1 gallon water bottle. The lighter weight and reduced costs are design benefits.

Here’s the challenge : Come up with a better name for the new toilet than “portable dry composting latrine” or even better something in Spanish “ bano portable de composte seco”. “Goyo Potty” is not acceptable.