Urine separating toilets?

[DoctorDoctor 1,391]

I recetly saw a couple of engineering stories about toilets in developing countries that separate urine from #2 (while the user is seated).  This is either for collecting urine (for fertilizer or recycling) or keeping the #2 separate and dry for composting.  It also saves a considerable amount of water.

https://pikkuvihrea.fi/en/product/separett-villa-urine-separating-toilet/

https://grist.org/article/2010-03-12-after-smart-grids-smart-sewage-urine-separating-nomix-toilet-get/

I was wondering if any users have any experience actually using such a toilet and if they care to share their experience?

[Paulypeeps 5,287]

I did install one in my garden for the purpose of collecting the by-products for use in composting - and very effective it was too for making the plants grow.

Most people when presented with the urine separator find it baffling. It is just a funnel arangement at the front of the 'hole' in the toilet seat, the idea being that when seated No2 goes straight down and No1 goes forward in to the funnel. Pee has to be kept out of the No2 because it must be kept dry, and that is the main reason for seperating the urine. To aid drying of the No2 after each use a sprinkling of sawdust gets layered on top of the No2 - but a lot of it ends up in the funnel blocking the pipe that takes the urine to the urine tank (grumble grumble) because no one quite understands the process.

When you get five gallons of urine it can be poured on to the compost heap to accelerate the rate of composting, and after the dry No2 has been stored for about six months it reduces in volume to about 20% of the original and can be sprinkled on to the compost heap too. The resulting compost at the end of the process is fantastic for growing vegetables.

If your composting toilet is well designed it becomes quite straightforward to swap out the five gallon urine bottle and the 40 gallon plastic dustbin periodically - and all without any plumbing!

[mickymoist 3,513]

That's interesting, I didn't even know there was such a thing, I do collect my pee though and dilute it with water to fertilise the roses etc, definitely seems to work.

[Carb0nBased 647]

I've heard of those toilets, and wondered if they work as well as they are supposed to--both for women with messy/backward streams and men who pee standing, even if they understand how it's supposed to work and act accordingly. It all depends on the pee falling in the front of the toilet in such a way that it runs out through the urine outlet and doesn't splash into the rear part of the bowl. Though for guys I imagine hooking up a urinal attachment wouldn't be too hard.

[gldenwetgoose 21,487]

I read somewhere that NASA 'train' astronauts to pee and poo separately, so the pee can be recycled into drinking water.

To be honest it doesn't seem too difficult to do (not sure how extensive their training is) - to pee first and then start to push once the bladder is empty.

[DoctorDoctor 1,391]

5 hours ago, Carb0nBased said:

I've heard of those toilets, and wondered if they work as well as they are supposed to--both for women with messy/backward streams and men who pee standing, even if they understand how it's supposed to work and act accordingly. It all depends on the pee falling in the front of the toilet in such a way that it runs out through the urine outlet and doesn't splash into the rear part of the bowl. Though for guys I imagine hooking up a urinal attachment wouldn't be too hard.

Yes, a urinal is an obvious choice for men and works 100% at keeping the wastes separated.

[Carb0nBased 647]

23 hours ago, gldenwetgoose said:

I read somewhere that NASA 'train' astronauts to pee and poo separately, so the pee can be recycled into drinking water.

To be honest it doesn't seem too difficult to do (not sure how extensive their training is) - to pee first and then start to push once the bladder is empty.

Yes, that usually isn't hard. There were a few times when I have had to poo quite bad and hardly had to pee, when the former came first and without pushing--otherwise it takes much less relaxing to pee, and they seem to never happen together for me. So peeing first and collecting it doesn't seem like a big deal.

[Alfresco 11,630]

On 6/11/2023 at 9:06 AM, gldenwetgoose said:

I read somewhere that NASA 'train' astronauts to pee and poo separately, so the pee can be recycled into drinking water.

To be honest it doesn't seem too difficult to do (not sure how extensive their training is) - to pee first and then start to push once the bladder is empty.

This is also a requirement when rafting in the Grand Canyon.  The ecosystem is such that with the volume of people taking the trip down the river, the requirement is that ALL pee should end up in the river and ALL solids be packed out.   The guides set up a "Groover" which is the toilet for solids at each camp stop and for peeing you either pee directly into the river or you use a pee bucket that is then emptied into the river.

Therefore, it is necessary to be able to pee and poo separately in order to use the two different facilities.

Aside:  The name Groover comes from the original cans used for this purpose which didn't have toilet seats.   Therefore when you sat on the rim of the can it imprinted grooves in the backs of your legs.   These days, they have toilet seats that fit on top to make it more comfortable.

Edited June 12, 2023 by Alfresco

[Simpfan4 174]

On 6/10/2023 at 2:50 AM, Paulypeeps said:

I did install one in my garden for the purpose of collecting the by-products for use in composting - and very effective it was too for making the plants grow.

Most people when presented with the urine separator find it baffling. It is just a funnel arangement at the front of the 'hole' in the toilet seat, the idea being that when seated No2 goes straight down and No1 goes forward in to the funnel. Pee has to be kept out of the No2 because it must be kept dry, and that is the main reason for seperating the urine. To aid drying of the No2 after each use a sprinkling of sawdust gets layered on top of the No2 - but a lot of it ends up in the funnel blocking the pipe that takes the urine to the urine tank (grumble grumble) because no one quite understands the process.

When you get five gallons of urine it can be poured on to the compost heap to accelerate the rate of composting, and after the dry No2 has been stored for about six months it reduces in volume to about 20% of the original and can be sprinkled on to the compost heap too. The resulting compost at the end of the process is fantastic for growing vegetables.

If your composting toilet is well designed it becomes quite straightforward to swap out the five gallon urine bottle and the 40 gallon plastic dustbin periodically - and all without any plumbing!

Very informative. If we inherit the homestead, we want to install a composting toilet. My background is farming and I find it incredible that as long as this land has been in my husband's family, it has never been farmed. I can grow almost anything outdoors. I'm planning to read up on homesteading and off-the-grid living.