• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • Pearl Sutton
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Anne Miller
  • Nicole Alderman
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Maieshe Ljin
  • Benjamin Dinkel
  • Jeremy VanGelder

Need Credible Info on Composting Human Waste ASAP

 
Posts: 131
Location: SW Tennessee Zone 7a average rainfall 52"
5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Help!

I have just learned that my county, which up to now has pretty much left us alone, is meeting this Tuesday (June 2) to consider new sanitation regulations. This has come about because over the past few years, several large farms have been split up into 10-20 acre parcels and sold to those of us who are content to live in tiny houses and haul our water in. Certain people have complained. Surprise, surprise.

I will be allowed to speak at this public meeting and I need a few credible, scientific studies that speak to the safety of composting human waste. Quotes from books and articles on how to do it aren't going to cut it. If we can't sway the powers that be, we will likely all be forced to install expensive septic systems.

Anyone have any links?
 
pollinator
Posts: 431
Location: Hudson Valley, New York, USA
137
hugelkultur dog forest garden fungi foraging books chicken cooking medical herbs homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I don't, but if I needed some, I would go to scholar.google.com.  They catalog a huge swath of the scientific literature.  It takes a few tries, usually, to get the right search terms, but I am confident that this is an excellent way to get what you need.

Best of luck!
 
Ferne Reid
Posts: 131
Location: SW Tennessee Zone 7a average rainfall 52"
5
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Anne, I love you! Thank you! A whole bunch of stuff came up that I'm sure I can use.
 
Anne Pratt
pollinator
Posts: 431
Location: Hudson Valley, New York, USA
137
hugelkultur dog forest garden fungi foraging books chicken cooking medical herbs homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hooray!

If there's one thing you learn after too much education, it's how to find real research papers!

Good luck and let us know!
 
Anne Pratt
pollinator
Posts: 431
Location: Hudson Valley, New York, USA
137
hugelkultur dog forest garden fungi foraging books chicken cooking medical herbs homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Oh - and look for a meta-analysis or a review paper.  These synthesize the relevant research and draw conclusions based on large numbers of studies, not a single study.
 
pollinator
Posts: 981
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
245
duck tiny house chicken composting toilet homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'd also look on humanurehandbook.com to see what you can find from Joe Jenkins.  Here's a link to the paper he did on his Santos project.  Table 1 shows pathogen survival rates with different methods and there's a lab report at the end that is very informative.  You may have to go through his papers to find some stuff, but you could also try to contact him directly.  He consults and is very supportive of other people's efforts.  
 
Ferne Reid
Posts: 131
Location: SW Tennessee Zone 7a average rainfall 52"
5
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The meeting was ... interesting. That's probably the most positive word I can use lol.

I do feel like I was heard and taken seriously, but I don't know if it was enough to sway the planning commission. Another non-public meeting is scheduled and I think they'll vote at that time. Thankfully my pastor is on the commission so I have a little insider info.
 
Timothy Markus
pollinator
Posts: 981
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
245
duck tiny house chicken composting toilet homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Good luck!
 
Anne Pratt
pollinator
Posts: 431
Location: Hudson Valley, New York, USA
137
hugelkultur dog forest garden fungi foraging books chicken cooking medical herbs homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes, we are interested in the outcome.  Fingers crossed.  
 
master steward
Posts: 7388
Location: southern Illinois, USA
2683
goat cat dog chicken composting toilet food preservation pig bee solar wood heat homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The real question is the potential for a hidden agenda.  If the agenda is to get rid of you (and people like you), I doubt if your problems are going anywhere.  The good news is that the powers that be are not just messing with you.  This deeply impacts the people who want to sell the land as well as realtors. Best of luck.
 
Why should I lose weight? They make bigger overalls. And they sure don't make overalls for tiny ads:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic