Cob: Re: Re: Blackwater systems, plus a humanure question

[pagani at juno.com]

Bill, 
 As to your question about any experiences with humanure composting and
local officials, we have some insight (we've been composting humanure
almost constantly over the last 2 years). I can say for certain that we
have never had any trouble with officials in two states or in the Denver
metro area. How is this you ask? It's simple, since it's none of their
business, we don't let them know. If, when the atmospheric conditions are
right and the planets are lined up the pile will smell somewhat. If it
does, we just tell the neighbors that we're composting pig, goat, horse,
or sumatran tiger manure (nudge nudge wink ;>). 
Look at it pragmatically, if it's safe and doesn't impose itself on the
community, there's nothing any "nofficial " can say. After all, do they
come into your home and tell you flush every time you go into a bowl of
drinking water (that's what a water waste toilet is right)?  Just don't
fret about it, it's safe, environmentally sound, and you'll sleep better
knowing you've closed the loop on the human/nutrient cycle.
                                       
Raven Talmhain                 
pagani at juno.com              



  >Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1999 09:00:48 -0500
>From: "William Lewis" <wmlewis at thebestisp.com>
>Subject: Cob: Re: Blackwater systems, plus a humanure question
>
>Warning: opinionated statements ahead. . .
>
>I just read "The Humanure Handbook" (avail through amazon.com) and am
>impressed with the ultra-low-tech, cheap, and effective (read safe) 
>method
>of composting human waste. The Earthship concept is impressive, too, 
>if you
>don't mind what seems to me to be an incredibly complex array of
>technologies and gadgets--but perfect for the engineer-type person 
>with
>money to spend. Just read the explanation below of the myriad steps in 
>the
>grey/black water process! I for one want to get back to the land and
>simplify my life, not make it more complex with systems upon systems.
>
>But I'm just speaking for myself, and I'm not trying to knock the 
>Earthship
>people for their efforts, which are considerable--and they certainly 
>have
>their heads in the "right" place. There is a place for every eco-soul 
>in the
>sustainable building movement.
>
>If you all (English needs a plural form of "you") haven't already done 
>so,
>you owe it to yourselves to check out The Humanure Handbook before 
>deciding
>on an expensive treatment system.
>
>Here's a question to all humanure composters out there: what 
>experiences
>have you had with the local building code/health bureaucracies? This 
>was not
>well addressed in The Humanure Handbook.
>
>Being that officialdom is more easily impressed (enthralled?) with 
>high-tech
>solutions for everything (a condition of the mind that affects most
>Americans), I imagine it might be more difficult to win over those 
>people to
>the composting concept than the idea of building with straw. I think 
>it's
>worth the effort, though. Anyone else think so?
>
>Bill Lewis
>