6/22/2010 Composting Toilets: Composting Toilets: Regulatory Barriers to an Regulatory Barriers to an Regulatory Barriers to an Regulatory Barriers to an Integrated Green Solution Integrated Green Solution Students: Tara Franey Students: Tara Franey Alison Buckley Alison Buckley Advisor: Peg Elmer Advisor: Peg Elmer Advisor: Peg Elmer Advisor: Peg Elmer Vermont Law School Vermont Law School Land Use Institute Land Use Institute Outline Outline Composting toilets Composting toilets Benefits of Composting Toilets Benefits of Composting Toilets Barriers Barriers Regulatory Examples Regulatory Examples Possible improvements Possible improvements Conclusions Conclusions 1
6/22/2010 Composting Toilets Composting Toilets How they work How they work Oldest, simplest Oldest simplest Oldest simplest Oldest, simplest mechanism of waste mechanism of waste disposal disposal Activity of decomposing Activity of decomposing organisms organisms Can eliminate a large Can eliminate a large percentage of pathogenic percentage of pathogenic percentage of pathogenic percentage of pathogenic organisms organisms Degrades nutrients into Degrades nutrients into more plant available forms more plant available forms Image source: www.enviroletbuzz.com Composting Toilets cont’d Composting Toilets cont’d Many different types Many different types Becoming more popular Becoming more popular Becoming more popular Becoming more popular due to water due to water constraints, especially constraints, especially for commercial uses for commercial uses Efficacy based on Efficacy based on temperature and time of temperature and time of residence residence id id pH, C:N ratio, and pH, C:N ratio, and moisture also can effect moisture also can effect the composting process the composting process 2
6/22/2010 Benefits of Composting Benefits of Composting Toilets Toilets Conservation Conservation Water Water Water Water Possibly energy Possibly energy Water quality Water quality Nutrients Nutrients Toxins/ Toxins/ pharmaceuticals in pharmaceuticals in p human waste human waste Land use planning Land use planning Nutrient recycling Nutrient recycling Image Source: Missouri DNR, via www.lmvp.org Barriers to composting toilets Barriers to composting toilets Public perception Public perception – – some misconceptions, some misconceptions, some realistic concerns some realistic concerns li ti li ti “Ick” factor “Ick” factor Smell Smell Insect activity Insect activity Increased user involvement Increased user involvement Increased user involvement Increased user involvement Cost Cost Regulatory hurdles Regulatory hurdles Image source: commons.wikimedia.org 3
6/22/2010 Regulatory Systems Regulatory Systems Approval of Innovative/Alternative systems Approval of Innovative/Alternative systems Explicit approval of composting toilets Explicit approval of composting toilets Explicit approval of composting toilets Explicit approval of composting toilets Differing requirements for the toilet design Differing requirements for the toilet design Leachfield Leachfield reductions reductions Most states have some percentage Most states have some percentage leachfield leachfield reduction. Some mandate that enough land be reduction. Some mandate that enough land be available for system designed on 100% of the flow available for system designed on 100% of the flow y y g g % % Disposal requirements Disposal requirements End End- -product treated as dangerous product treated as dangerous Some states have on Some states have on- -site disposal options site disposal options Examples Examples Vermont Law School Vermont Law School Act 250 Act 250 Act 250 Act 250 Town of South Royalton said Town of South Royalton said there was not enough water there was not enough water available for the larger available for the larger building. building. Clivus multrum composting Clivus multrum composting toilets drastically reduce toilets drastically reduce water usage to 15 gallons water usage to 15 gallons per day for the building. per day for the building. Service over 600 students Service over 600 students and staff, not emptied for and staff, not emptied for until 2007. (Opened in until 2007. (Opened in 1998) 1998) 4
6/22/2010 Examples Examples Cobb Hill Co Cobb Hill Co- -housing housing Developed in early Developed in early Developed in early Developed in early 2000s, before a 2000s, before a Vermont rule change Vermont rule change Uses Phoenix Uses Phoenix composting toilets composting toilets Negotiated a 40% Negotiated a 40% decrease in greywater d d decrease in greywater i i t t **Updated regulations now provide **Updated regulations now provide ** ** an automatic 25% decrease, in an automatic 25% decrease, in leachfield size with the leachfield size with the addition to a reduction for multi addition to a reduction for multi- - Vermont ANR Vermont ANR family developments like this co family developments like this co- - housing project housing project Image source: Advanced Composting Systems, www.compostingtoilet.com Cobb Hill cont’d Cobb Hill cont’d Problems Problems Design flow (for 22 families) was 4900 gpd Design flow (for 22 families) was 4900 gpd Actual water use was 1200 gpd. Actual water use was 1200 gpd. Composting toilets, low flow showerheads, water Composting toilets, low flow showerheads, water conservation philosophy conservation philosophy The lack of flow volume may have contributed The lack of flow volume may have contributed to later problems with the greywater system to later problems with the greywater system to later problems with the greywater system to later problems with the greywater system Under current regulations, the required design Under current regulations, the required design flow would still be over twice what the flow would still be over twice what the community is actually using community is actually using 5
6/22/2010 Cobb Hill Cont’d Cobb Hill Cont’d Disposal Disposal State originally required disposal by a certified State originally required disposal by a certified hazmat hauler to a certified hazmat landfill hazmat hauler to a certified hazmat landfill Closest landfill is in Maine Closest landfill is in Maine State then told them to take the compost to a State then told them to take the compost to a normal landfill normal landfill Finally, state approved a disposal site on Finally, state approved a disposal site on Cobb Hill property Cobb Hill property Lessons Lessons They work. Water usage at both Cobb Hill They work. Water usage at both Cobb Hill and Vermont Law School were drastically and Vermont Law School were drastically and Vermont Law School were drastically and Vermont Law School were drastically decreased by the use of composting decreased by the use of composting toilets. toilets. The regulatory process is not easy. Cobb The regulatory process is not easy. Cobb Hill was philosophically committed to using Hill Hill was philosophically committed to using Hill hil hil hi hi ll ll itt d t itt d t i i a sustainable technology and had unified, a sustainable technology and had unified, continuous representation. continuous representation. 6
6/22/2010 Possible regulatory Possible regulatory improvements improvements Explicit approval of Explicit approval of composting toilets composting toilets ti ti t il t t il t Almost all New England Almost all New England states do this states do this Removes uncertainty in Removes uncertainty in the planning stage the planning stage Possibly based on a list Possibly based on a list of approved designs, or of approved designs or of approved designs or of approved designs, or NSF standard NSF standard Design requirements Design requirements related to disposal related to disposal requirements requirements Possible Regulatory Possible Regulatory Improvements: Disposal Improvements: Disposal Landfill disposal doesn’t Landfill disposal doesn’t capture the nutrient capture the nutrient p recycling benefits of recycling benefits of composting toilets composting toilets Massachusetts, Vermont, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island. allow on Rhode Island. allow on- -site site burial burial Surface application Surface application Risk Risk Risk Risk Risk can be managed either Risk can be managed either through design requirements through design requirements of the toilet, or through of the toilet, or through disposal requirements disposal requirements Image source: www.landofgraciousliving.com 7
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