Need information on building an outhouse

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Need ideas for toilets other than those on septic system. What is a cess pool? How do you build an outhouse properly?

-- Julie Lewis (jar235@yahoo.com), July 28, 2001

Answers

Try the "humanure" book... www.weblife.org/humanure/ The book concentrates on sawdust toilets and composting. A great book.

cheers,

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), July 28, 2001.


The terms cesspool and septic tank can be used interchangably.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 28, 2001.

One word; Downwind! &;o)

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 28, 2001.

Find out what your local zoning (if any) regulations are. You may have to check health services also.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), July 28, 2001.

If you're building it for yourself there's no problem, but if for someone else, the toughest part is getting the hole sized right. You can't just run up and measure someones hind end, and woe to you if you mis-guess and built a size nine hole for a ladys size six hiney.

-- Paul (hoyt@egyptian.net), July 28, 2001.


In the last or one before of Countryside, there was a good idea on outhouses. Check it out. DW

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), July 28, 2001.

Here in NorthEast Missouri, we build sewage lagoons. The only "permit and inspection" we had when we built our in ground home was for the lagoon. The ordinance in our county, Monroe, states that there must be 400 sq.feet of surface area for each bedroom in the home. It must be fenced, and have a gate to make it easy to mow to keep the weeds down. Our soil has too much clay, and septic tanks will not work here. Before putting in a lagoon, make darn sure you know where the prevailing winds are. Most of the time there is no odor, but when the ice melts and the bacteria have not fired up yet, it can get quite gamey.

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), July 30, 2001.

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