The process begins. Purchase of the materials at the building market.



Crib timber is cut and tar painted


Foundation prepared. Note zeolite filter pits





Crib construction

Hello everyone!

This toilet building season I have started with a new facility at the Eco-Park”Kopilov” in the woods 30 km from Kiev north -west. Although the toilet is not completely ready yet (we have long Orthodox Easter holidays) Istill decided to start publishing the report.








The idea was to have here a public toilet mainly for the stuff and builders which would fit into forest environment and look kind of “authentic” while bearing all the features of the modern up-to date dry toilet . My own motivation was very much to develop a model facility to be used at the National Park tourist network in the Ukrainian Carpathians. One of the objectives was to have a passive ventilated system (no main electricity available on the site) while getting without sticking pipes and such. The other important consideration clearly expressed from the owner side is to have a NON-urine separation system.

The basic concept comes from crib toilet design described at the “ Backcountry Sanitation Manual” by Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Green Mountain Club . The SUSANA resource link is www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2130. It is great manual! My big acknowledgments to the authors!

The crib design allows for non-pipe ventilation, mixed human waste input and looks good. The construction is simple.

One of the important features of this toilet is a zeolite filter that I put under mouldering chamber. The idea is that zeolite absorbs excessive nutrients and liquid preventing them from entering the ground water. After some time zeolite can be taken out and used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. About 350 l of zeolite was used for each chamber.

The essential crib timber antiseptic treatment was done by natural wood tar –turpentine mix (4:1). It has pleasant smell as beautiful brown-grey color after fully absorbed. We used the Estonian produced tar which costs around 10$/ liter.

The other feature of the toilet is extensive use of the hand forged elements especially in door construction which I believe attractive and fits into the style. Being a profy blacksmith myself try to use the blacksmith art whenever it is possible and strongly recommend it for other toilet builders.