One subject that probably isn’t talked about enough is sanitation. As preppers we are preparing for the likelihood of being without a food and water source. We have our water stored for cooking and drinking but what about sanitation? All the conventional ways of getting rid of human waste rely on electricity and most importantly, running water. Without these sanitation is going to become a real issue in an emergency situation, especially if it’s a situation that’s going to last a while.
This is something that homeowners should be concerned with. How are you going to get rid of your waste without being able to flush the toilet? Probably the best option for homesteaders and preppers alike is building a working outhouse. People used outhouses for years. They could be a good thing if the grid ever went down. To build an outhouse you first want to choose a location that is 50 – 150 ft. from your home. This is to keep the smell at a minimum. A hole should be dug around 5 ft. deep and up to 3 ft. in diameter. A small building should be constructed on top of the the hole. Vent pipes should be ran from the pit to on top of the roof to vent the methane gas that would build up.
It might seem pretty primitive but if the grid went down it’s going to be one of your only options to get rid of your waste. A well built outhouse would last years and with a 5 ft. deep pit your going to always be in a constant cycle of decomposition which shouldn’t ever fill up. The outhouse would need to be well built and sealed up good around the pit itself. Outhouse specific toilet seats can be purchased to seal the pit and keep bugs and the smell down as much as possible. When people used outhouses they would sprinkle lime into the pit to aid in decomposition along with keeping the smell down. If you are a homesteader, you might want to look into building one of these if you expect the grid to go down for any length of time. Below is a diagram of an outhouse to give you an idea of how to build one.
6 comments
Preparedness Pro
November 18, 2009 at 7:53 pm (UTC 0)
Agreed, this is such an overlooked part of preparedness, I'm glad it's being addressed here. If the power goes out, I recommend plugging the toilet up with a tennis ball to avoid sewage coming out in the event of a blockage. Yucky topic, but you gotta have a plan!! http://bit.ly/3GaLap
Wendy
November 19, 2009 at 3:47 am (UTC 0)
Waste disposal is an often overlooked issue in prepperdom. I'm glad you brought it up.
Being the uber geek that I am, I've already figured that we'll use the 5 gal bucket with a toilet seat/saw dust method in the house, and then empty the bucket right into the septic tank, which has an easy access panel. With as small a piece of land as we have, and considering that we'll need it all to grow food and raise animals, building an outhouse just wouldn't work well for us
.
Another alternative is Humanure.
Anonymous
November 19, 2009 at 9:53 am (UTC 0)
how about a compost toliet system instead of old fashion outhouse system..
how a marine style hand pumped toliet system with a black water holding tank with a hand powered waster water pump out system into the spetic system ..
matthiasj
November 19, 2009 at 3:09 pm (UTC 0)
Thanks for the tips Anon. I'll do some research on the options you mentioned and follow up with a part 2!
Mike
November 22, 2009 at 2:42 pm (UTC 0)
I am with Anon on the composting idea. There is a great book on this subject called "Humanure Handbook" by Joseph Jenkins. I have not tried this myself but know people that use this method. If done correctly there is no smell. Mike (aka Nottingham on the forum)
matthiasj
November 23, 2009 at 7:07 pm (UTC 0)
Glad you stopped by Mike. I will be looking into that for a future post.