Learn why dry/compost toilets are environmentally significant, and how to plan for, design, and build a wooden dry/compost latrine.

In the era of cholera in the UK, Victorian public health professionals developed water-borne sewage systems (water flush toilets) which brought huge public health benefits, and which have become the aspired norm around the world. This meant that the humble dry toilet/compost systems have for the most part been discarded in industrialised countries. However, there is increasing recognition of the need to manage our waste streams differently given the impact of our pollution, often exported “elsewhere” and the missed opportunities to both reduce resource use and recycle. If we get the design, build and operation elements right we can also make cost saving over the lifecycle of the toilet system.

This practical course sets the scene to make the “case” for compost toilets in some situations, explaining how to meet regulatory requirements and concerns in the Welsh context. This will be followed by building a twin pit dry compost latrine and provide opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from each other. It is intended to build this first compost toilet as a high-quality exemplar which can inform the design and build of some of the potential future facilities on the BMC campus as it is developed.

The course is intended for anyone who might wish to build their own compost toilet, is interested in the human waste nutrient cycle or just wants to build things from wood.

What will I do and learn?

• Understand the environmental problem and why compost toilets are important.
• Learn about regulations and risks of compost toilets.
• Learn how to site, design, build and operate.
• Understand the life cycle costs of compost toilets.
• Engage in the practical building of a twin pit dry compost latrine.
• Introduction to building a female/male urinal.

Who will I learn from?

Richard Luff

Richard is an international public health engineer who designed the compost toilets for the 90,000 Bhutanese refugees who fled to Eastern Nepal in 1992. He also is former-director of the National Forest Gardening Scheme and co-coordinator of Oxfordshire Trees/rewilding Community Action Groups. He used to work as a construction engineer and spend 30 years in international disaster management for organisations like Oxfam, DFID, UNICEF and the Red Cross. His life work is now focussed on well-being in nature, through involvement in green social organisations and green issue campaigning/activist groups.

Key Information

Date - Saturday 15th April 2023 from 9am – 5pm

Location - meet at Talgarth Car Park, LD3 0PQ. Our campus is a car free site, and we encourage participants to meet at 9am at Talgarth carpark to walk up to the campus ready to start the course for 10am. This is a moderate uphill walk of 35-40 minutes. If you are unable to do so we will organise lift-shares from the Car Park.

What you need - You should wear suitable, weather-dependent PPE including gloves, and good, sturdy boots with steel toes if possible.

Please bring a water bottle and a packed lunch for a picnic at the farm.

Age limit - You must be 16 years old or above to take part in this course for safety reasons. Under 18s should be accompanied by an adult.

How much does it cost?

We would like our short courses to be as accessible as possible cost-wise, whilst ensuring we are still able to cover material and teaching costs. We, therefore, ask you to pay what you can towards this event based on our tiered system. We have tickets available at £50 (reduced rate), £75 (actual cost), and £100 (pay it forward).

Consider contributing more on the scale if you:

• have the ability to comfortably meet all of your basic needs
• have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
• travel recreationally
• own the home you live in
• have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.)

Consider contributing less on the scale if you:

• have difficulty covering basic expenses
• are supporting children or have other dependents
• are an elder with limited financial support
• have unstable housing and/or limited access to reliable transportation

If you select an amount at the higher end of the scale, you will make possible future offerings and support our volunteers who are generously contributing time. Thank you!

Tickets are non-refundable. Depending on the uptake of the course we hold the right to cancel it, in which case you will be refunded.

Please note that spaces on this course are limited. We operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

We have one fully-funded spot on this course available to a successful bursary applicant. If you are unable to pay for the course and would like to be considered for a free place, then please complete this form. You will be contacted by a member of our team 2-4 weeks prior to the course starting.

Accessibility

This course is rated as 3 (least accessible) on our scale of accessibility. Read more about our accessibility policy here.

Please see our booking terms & conditions upon checkout for more information.

We will follow the most recent COVID measures and protocols in order to keep everyone safe and healthy for the duration of the course.