Sanitation and Cleanliness for a Healthy Environment 37
Urine-diverting dry toilets
Dry toilets do not use pits. They are built above ground, so it is easier to remove
the contents. They also have a toilet bowl with separate compartments that keep
urine and feces apart. This helps the contents of the toilet stay dry, killing germs and
reducing smells. This also allows the urine to be used as fertilizer. Because they are
built above ground and lined on the bottom, they are safe for groundwater.
Dry toilets are more costly to build than pit toilets. Their safe use requires training,
because they are used differently than pit toilets and water-based toilets. And it takes
some work to keep them well maintained. But they are very good for people who want
to produce fertilizer from their wastes. They are also a good option in places where:
• The groundwater is too high for pit toilets.
• Flooding is common.
• The ground is too hard to dig.
• People want a permanent toilet in or near their house.
2 chamber dry toilets
This dry toilet has 2 chambers where feces break down into safe fertilizer. One side
is used while the feces on the other side dry and break down. A special toilet bowl
separates urine into a hose for collection in a container outside of the toilet. After
about a year, the dried feces are removed and added to a compost pile or used on
fields or gardens. If the urine is collected in a container, it can be mixed with water and
used as fertilizer (see pages 41 to 42).
Shelter for
comfort, privacy,
and to keep the
toilet dry.
Urine pot where
the urine is
collected from
the toilet and
the urinal.
Parts of the 2 chamber dry toilet
Front of toilet
Back of toilet
Hose to
divert urine
from urinal
and bowl to
urine pot.
Urinal
2 chambers made of brick,
concrete, or other waterproof
material. While one is in use
as a toilet, feces dry and
decompose in the other.
One kind of dry toilet uses
a toilet bowl that separates
urine from feces. The bowl
looks very much like any
toilet bowl, but it does not
use water. Home-made urine
catching devices can work just
as well (see pages 38-39).
Small doors at the
back where the dried
feces can be removed.