Steve Maskery":24kn0nq3 said:
. . . What happens when it gets full?
It is a bit difficult to give an answer to this as there are a lot of variables - the construction of the pit - i.e is it lined; the depth; the number of people using it; the culture/customs of the local people. If for example it is an unlined but deep pit latrine - 5m or so, and is being used by one or two families, as long as it doesn't cave in it will last almost indefinately as the bacteria and microbes will compact down the fecal matter. Often the spol from the pit is used to build up the area around the top of the pit which helps drainage as you don't want too much water going in.
For a school - assuming that you can persuade the students to actually use it - then often the enclosure is a semipermenant design that can be moved when the pit becomes full. In some places the slab covering the pit is moved too and the pit covered over with the spoil from the new pit. Usually though a new slab is made as they aren't too expensive - a few rebars and a couple of sacks of cement. Yours were posh VIP toilets with 'Turkish' squatting plates set into the slab. Often in a rural school the area around the perimetre will look like an elephant grave yard with grassy mound dotted around. Not a good place to start building a new construction. :wink:
My experience in Africa is that the fecal matter isn't used for compost - although it can be if left for about a year. There are a lot of superstitions in many cultures and this is one reason why it is often difficult to persuade people to actually use a pit toilet - VIP or otherwise. My colleague in Nigeria describes the practice used by most of the rural population as 'free range'. :wink: I think the area he is working in is predominantly muslim although they same would I think be the case in the 'christian' south.
I think that in India 'night soil' is used for composting - but the structure of the society is quite different there. I firmly believe that, at the end of the day, the important thing isn't what the toilet looks like to you or to me, but is it actually going to be used after you or I have gone. In a way I hope you get a message in a couple of years time to tell you that the pits are all full and can you come and help build another one :lol:
A bit OT, but I read recently that the UK is the highest consumer of toilet paper in Europe - on average everyone in the UK uses 17.6kg of toilet paper a year - about 110 rolls per capita. Perhaps if we had to use VIP toilets in the UK our consumption of Andrex might go down - the pits would certainly fill up quickly! Sounds like you will be using up your quota quite quickly.
All the best and get well soon. BTW if it continues for more than a week get yerself down the Dr's and tell them where you've been as you may have more than just an upset stomach.
Steve
