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SAWHORSE
Flush toilets going down the drain Ecologists want to dump system
By Lauren Cole
http://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/news/2014-12-05/Community/Flush_toilets_going_down_the_drain.html
Do you know what happens after you flush your toilet? Have you ever thought about it?
The topic of sanitation is not the most popular subject; however, the drought and mandatory local water restrictions are finally drawing attention to water consumption.
Water-wise community leaders and entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities for greater water conservation. They’re even looking to the toilet for ideas.
The two most common types of sanitation systems in the U.S. are septic and sewers. Septic systems are decentralized options that distribute flush water on site via an underground leach field.
A sewer system transports flush water and other sources of wastewater to a treatment plant via an extensive network of underground pipes. About three-quarters of U.S. residents are connected to a municipal sewer system.
The modern flush toilet and accompanying sewer systems were first designed over 150 years ago in order to prevent the spread of disease by moving waste away from people as quickly as possible.
However, flushing the toilet today requires a lot of water and energy, and continues to impact both surface water and groundwater supplies. According to statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans seem to use approximately one Lake Tahoe—over 1 trillion gallons of fresh water every year— just for flushing toilets.
This is a staggering visual. A more fundamental question is: Are people really going to the bathroom in fresh, potable and scarce water supplies?
The good news is that many toilet models, referred to as ecotoilets, have been designed to use little to no water to operate, prevent pollution of local water bodies and cost a fraction of the amount of septic or sewer systems.
Eco-toilets also present an alternative for some areas with failing septic systems, job sites, event port-a-potties or disasterrelief scenarios. Common examples of eco-toilets are the waterless urinal, composting and urine-diversion toilet systems.
And eco-toilets offer huge potential in terms of localized job growth. The design and production of eco-toilet systems, retrofit and installations, maintenance, marketing and recycling of residuals are all areas for potential job growth in this new green market.
What if local businesses, youths, labor unions and students began to consider eco-toilets in Ventura County? What if municipalities and large water districts supported them?
Ready to take the plunge?
Low-flow toilets are common, available in local home improvement stores and are often installed as retrofits, but true eco-toilets are not currently mentioned in the California State Plumbing Code and, therefore, are nearly impossible to legally permit and install.
Local regul atory agen- cies such as the County of Ventura Building and Safety Division, and its Environmental Health Division will not typically issue permits for ecotoilets, which are not clearly defined in the state or local codes.
Jim MacDonald, building official for Ventura County, recognizes the potential in water saving fixtures, such as the waterless urinal, which is the only type of eco-toilet permitted under state code. In fact, Ventura County is currently retrofitting their restrooms with these systems.
However, MacDonald, does not feel that the public is ready for other eco-toilet systems that may require the user to adopt some sort of behavioral change in order to use them safely and effectively.
“The biggest concern is that plumbing fixtures are tested to ensure they will protect users and the public from health threats associated with human waste,” he said. “Plumbing codes in place today were developed through experience and testing. I can’t allow untested plumbing fixtures to be ‘tested’ in Ventura County.”
The CALGreen building code, which is a supplement to the state plumbing code, has the potential to incorporate several models of nationally approved eco-toilets into the 2016 code revisions. This would make it much easier for early-adopters to have a choice in their sanitation system and to more easily secure permits for eco-toilets that have been proven to function safely and effectively. Several other states include eco-toilet options in their state and local codes. Oregon has allowed composting toilets since the mid-70s.
In a drought-prone climate, it is in the interest of businesses, homeowners and activists to keep an eye on the environment, even when it may come to the subject of toilets.
Lauren Cole is a watershed planner for NextGen Engineering Inc. in Ventura County.
By Lauren Cole
http://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/news/2014-12-05/Community/Flush_toilets_going_down_the_drain.html
Do you know what happens after you flush your toilet? Have you ever thought about it?
The topic of sanitation is not the most popular subject; however, the drought and mandatory local water restrictions are finally drawing attention to water consumption.
Water-wise community leaders and entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities for greater water conservation. They’re even looking to the toilet for ideas.
The two most common types of sanitation systems in the U.S. are septic and sewers. Septic systems are decentralized options that distribute flush water on site via an underground leach field.
A sewer system transports flush water and other sources of wastewater to a treatment plant via an extensive network of underground pipes. About three-quarters of U.S. residents are connected to a municipal sewer system.
The modern flush toilet and accompanying sewer systems were first designed over 150 years ago in order to prevent the spread of disease by moving waste away from people as quickly as possible.
However, flushing the toilet today requires a lot of water and energy, and continues to impact both surface water and groundwater supplies. According to statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans seem to use approximately one Lake Tahoe—over 1 trillion gallons of fresh water every year— just for flushing toilets.
This is a staggering visual. A more fundamental question is: Are people really going to the bathroom in fresh, potable and scarce water supplies?
The good news is that many toilet models, referred to as ecotoilets, have been designed to use little to no water to operate, prevent pollution of local water bodies and cost a fraction of the amount of septic or sewer systems.
Eco-toilets also present an alternative for some areas with failing septic systems, job sites, event port-a-potties or disasterrelief scenarios. Common examples of eco-toilets are the waterless urinal, composting and urine-diversion toilet systems.
And eco-toilets offer huge potential in terms of localized job growth. The design and production of eco-toilet systems, retrofit and installations, maintenance, marketing and recycling of residuals are all areas for potential job growth in this new green market.
What if local businesses, youths, labor unions and students began to consider eco-toilets in Ventura County? What if municipalities and large water districts supported them?
Ready to take the plunge?
Low-flow toilets are common, available in local home improvement stores and are often installed as retrofits, but true eco-toilets are not currently mentioned in the California State Plumbing Code and, therefore, are nearly impossible to legally permit and install.
Local regul atory agen- cies such as the County of Ventura Building and Safety Division, and its Environmental Health Division will not typically issue permits for ecotoilets, which are not clearly defined in the state or local codes.
Jim MacDonald, building official for Ventura County, recognizes the potential in water saving fixtures, such as the waterless urinal, which is the only type of eco-toilet permitted under state code. In fact, Ventura County is currently retrofitting their restrooms with these systems.
However, MacDonald, does not feel that the public is ready for other eco-toilet systems that may require the user to adopt some sort of behavioral change in order to use them safely and effectively.
“The biggest concern is that plumbing fixtures are tested to ensure they will protect users and the public from health threats associated with human waste,” he said. “Plumbing codes in place today were developed through experience and testing. I can’t allow untested plumbing fixtures to be ‘tested’ in Ventura County.”
The CALGreen building code, which is a supplement to the state plumbing code, has the potential to incorporate several models of nationally approved eco-toilets into the 2016 code revisions. This would make it much easier for early-adopters to have a choice in their sanitation system and to more easily secure permits for eco-toilets that have been proven to function safely and effectively. Several other states include eco-toilet options in their state and local codes. Oregon has allowed composting toilets since the mid-70s.
In a drought-prone climate, it is in the interest of businesses, homeowners and activists to keep an eye on the environment, even when it may come to the subject of toilets.
Lauren Cole is a watershed planner for NextGen Engineering Inc. in Ventura County.