36 Sanitation and Cleanliness for a Healthy Environment
2 pit compost toilet
The 2 pit compost toilet is like the simple compost toilet for
treeplanting, but rather than planting a tree in the pit, the
compost is dug out and used in the garden or fields. It is an
easy way to turn excrement into fertilizer for almost no cost.
Because the waste is mixed with soil in a shallow pit, allowed
to dry out and kill germs, and then removed, this toilet tends
to be safer for groundwater than traditional pit toilets.
To build a 2 pit compost toilet
Dig 2 pits 1 to 1 ½ meters deep,
1 meter wide, and 30 centimeters
apart. Add a lining or ring beam
to both pits (see page 31). Place a
platform and a simple shelter over
one pit, and a concrete or wood
cover over the second pit. Use
the first pit until it is nearly full. A
family of 6 will fill the pit in about
1 year.
1 meter
30
cm
1 meter
1. When the first pit is almost full, top it up with 30 centimeters of soil and
cover it with a board or concrete slab. Move the platform and shelter to the
other pit, and use it until it is nearly full. Leave the first pit alone – or, after it
has settled for 2 months, add more soil and plant a seasonal vegetable like
tomatoes right in the pit. Since the feces are still being processed, it is best to
avoid root crops such as carrots and potatoes.
2. When the second pit is full, empty the first pit with a shovel. Wear gloves, and
wash hands after handling the fresh fertilizer.
3. Store the contents in bags or buckets for later use, or
add them to a compost pile or garden. ( To know when
the contents are ready, see page 41.) Move the platform
and shelter back to the first pit, while the contents of
the second pit settle. And so on…
To maintain a 2 pit compost toilet
• Keep a bucket of soil mixed
with dry plant matter in
the shelter. After each use,
throw 2 handfuls in the pit.
• When the pile gets too high,
stir it down with a stick.
• Sweep and wash the
platform often. Be careful
not to get much water in
the pit.
After 1 year the contents of the pit compost toilet should
be safe to mix into garden soil as fertilizer. Wear gloves
and shoes when handling it.