O OPERATION' * Six inches or more of loose, dry sawdust or straw should be placed in the bottom of the drum before initial use to absorb moisture. * Two cups of straw, peat moss, etc. should be added to the drum after every use. A supply of such material should be kept next to the seatbox or squatplate. A number of. pe ople report difficulties with using sawdust, saying it is hard to composr and tends to m"it down in the drum and prevent air circulation. The purpose of adding such materials is to absorb what moisture doesn't evapo-- rate, keep the pilc loose so air can circulate, and help^ balance the carbon/nitrogen ratio for composting. * Kitchen food wastes can be added to the drum as desired, but garbage that has sat around the kitchen accessible to flies may introduce fly eggs into the pile and a,ggr av ate insect problems. x Ammonia odors indicate too much moisture from urine-add more straw. Rotten egg odor indicates overcompacted or drowned and anaerobic pile-needs more June 1977 RAIN page 13 straw, turning, or less urine. * Be prepared to deai with inevitable flies, gnats and midges with Baytex from a toilet dealer, pritt's white flv spray for,greenhouses, super-phosphate, ashes, chopped nightshade, porato or tomaro foliage, mothballs, or as a last resorr- pest strips (other than Shell No-pest Strips). Check privy periodically. for possible entry places for insects and correct conditions as needed. O URINE' If desired, urine may be collected separately through a urinal, urine toilet, funnel and hose attaihed toend of squat plate, or drained off from the bottom of the drum, and then diluted 5 to 1 with water for applicarion to rree roors or garden. Most people claim there are no pathogen problems with urine, but we're not absolutely certain-noimal'precautions ofnot using on roor crops, etc. should probablf be followed. a STORAGE: Install a screened and raincapped vent in one.of the bungholes (preferably thc larger one) of lids used ,ror tllled.drums_. Replace drums when ful1, cap with a vented lid, roll vigorously and store. Drums in storage should be rolled monthly. Various oprions for treatmeit of the compost are being followed, but not enough testing has occurred yet to determine which treatments/com-binationi are adequately safe. Options being used or tested are, * Hot.composring-placing contents in the center of a large (more rhan one cubic yard) layered compost pile using additional animal manure, plant materiais and water, rurning pile every 4th day for 24 d,ays or unril cool. Temperature should reach 140.F., ani at least 6,, of plant materials should cover the pile to keep flies out. x Retention time-store in drums for one year, rolling drums monthly to keep aerated. * Bury. x Truck drums yearly to sewage plant or land application. O USE OF COMPOST: * Apply and disc a 2- t.o 4-inch layer as soil conditioner for lawn or landscape planting. REr.€VrAaJ A$^EEO uFf aoq,sE'nolJa AT*},IED DQAIA UD 1IO ?EE \lf PRUM REritclAL EANP LIP Dfr',A|vi. ASTI'{ TD { <ruux tzr(HAu€T VENT I <cEc6N ,IHEEADEP I'fID 9UNGHCI.E LID AANDET2 ?) DE.IM 9BJAA DURING €'lbsq,s p1a65 4t Fr.F(,Bl.E iDdr-vENT AeovE FbF + scc-r.r €ECrpN Cut FEr^A PASTIC t{AStEnAsEEr _,€'gAL9RUM €ET INPL,rE <aAf IN3EE vl/lsAnxt ap. FslfoRrTltA{E I I frr int * Apply 25-250 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. in shallo,,v rrenches tn tbe garden at least 6 months to a verr hefore nlenti, en atlelst year before planting crops. Not recommended for root crops. * Use 1- to 2-inch layer for surface *itrh. * Mix with equal volume of peat and sand or soil for use LS potting mixture for house plants. to manage for further composting. A full drum weighed about 450 pounds. Our present system is working very well. Drums are vented both inside and out during use and in subsequent storage. The by-product is a mellow humus with no foul qualities. The drums are srarted with 12" of sawdust and wood chips in the bottom to absorb liquid wastes. Wirh each use, a one:pound coffee can of sawdust mixed with some wood ashes iiadded to the drum. Although the addition of this quantity of other organic materials has resulted in a shortening of the anricipated rotation (one drum will serve a family of four for four months), it is an excellent trade-off when it comes time to change drums. They are light enough for two people to move. No handling of the contenrs is necessary. The drum loads are simply layerJd into the cenre r of a newly-made compost piie along with other organics: weeds, leaves, kitchen wastes and other animal manures. Although the drums do heat up during use, we feel it is important to introduce the contenrs of a dium into an additional composring process where thermophylic temperatures are assured. Final disposition of the composr is for fertilizing trees and flowers. Perseverance with this experimentation has brought us to the brink of our social system's tolerance for deviation from the norm. Both the stati and the county are threarening ro demolish our homes. Meanwhile, the flush toilet contin-ues to cau.se.irreparable harm to aquatic environments, squanders dwindling supplies of fresh warer and places communities in debt for generations in order to finance massive wastewater collection and treatment facilities. In dreams which transcend our own simple wishes, we envision the day when metropolitan are as apply much the same principles to their waste management problems: minimum flush or no-flush toilets; moduLr units which may be collected and transporred in much the same fashion as garbage and trash; and lomposting srarions where the by-products are sold ro farmers fbr fertilizer, the profits from which may be applied ro reduce ove rall cosrs. In the Far East, farmers placed their privies adjacent to roads in hopes that passing strangers would take advantage of their convenience and use them. Out here on the frontier: it,s a long way between comfort stations. Paradise Velley Mtrch 197 6
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