Welcome Dear Steemians!
We are documenting our build of a fast and affordable water flushing vermicomposting toilet in the forest of East Lombok, Indonesia
If you're new please check out our previous installments @
https://steemit.com/permaculture/@reville/evolving-the-tiger-toilet-part-1
https://steemit.com/permaculture/@reville/evolving-the-tiger-toilet-part-2
https://steemit.com/permaculture/@reville/evolving-the-tiger-toilet-part-3
https://steemit.com/permaculture/@reville/evolving-the-tiger-toilet-part-5
D-Day
The formwork is coming off!
we unhitch the tarpaulin and disconnect the support wires
The reusable formwork slides out. The 3mm plywood had been oiled to act as a releasing agent which makes it easier t separate from the cement. We use new motor oil, used motor oil is popular and cheaper but contains many toxic substances and should not be used unless absolutely necessary.
We re-oil the 3mm plywood before putting back into storage to use again
The Formwork shells can be reused many times and this formwork for the toilet block has already been used to create 11 x 5000 L water tanks in 6 of the Hamlets of Sekaroh Village. It is still in great condition and will be used many more times
using these reusable forms, the team could produce a water tank and a toilet block in 6 days
pre-work by beneficiaries
- leveling the site
- Preparation of sand
- all materials in place
Day 1 - set up the formwork for the water tank and pour the foundation for the water tank, while the water tank concrete base is setting for 4 hours they could also set up and pour the foundation for the toilets. Then they apply first coat to water tank
Day 2 - Set up foundation and formwork for the vermifilter tank/s. later in the day apply first coat to the vermifilter tanks.
Day 3 - remove tank formwork and setup for the toilet block, apply the first coat. Apply inner coat to the water tanks and cast the lids for Tank and water tanks
Day 4 - remove the formwork from vermifilter tanks and toilet block. apply an inner coat. install toilet and piping from toilet block, Install taps in the water tank. At this point the formwork can move to a second location for another team to start work
day 5 - Connect toilet block and vermifilter tanks. begin roofing of the toilet block
Day 6 - fill the water tank, and set in place the lid. Finalize roofing and fill vermifilter tanks with media and worms
WWG setup would be additional and best done with the help of those who will benefit from the mulch and fodder
The inner coat
A mortar mix is prepared the same as the exterior coat and applied to the inside of the walls
As the inside is already quite smooth, the amount of mortar and the time taken to apply is less.
The tarpaulin is replaced again to slow the drying of the mortar and give shade to the team
Next up..
Tomorrow we will begin by cutting the doorway and tidying up the form, while part of the team begins preparing the Ijuk roof thatch
The use of Lime based renders and Ijuk roofing will combine Traditional Sasak Cultural aesthetics, with the modernity of the Ferro cement build and vermifilter toilets
Once the form is complete the holes will be cut to form separate exit points for the Toilet piping and the wash water piping
we will begin trialing some different render coat mixes based on white cement, lime, and sands
Other Tiger toilet builds
There are already thousands of Vermifiltration toilets built worldwide using a variety of building techniques
http://tigertoilet.com/about-us/
We wanted to create a type of toilet that is beautiful as well as functional, so we are incorporating the use of reusable Ferro cement formwork, round design, privacy wing and traditional roofing styles and materials
Evaluations from field trials around the world
Oxfam
“The worms look after themselves, and are happy to sit in a pit below the toilet eating everything that lands on them. “It’s also very quick and easy to build. We are going to provide the community with paints so they can paint the toilets in the traditional way in which they paint their houses: very abstract shapes, flowers, animals, or however they like.” Each toilet needs around 1kg of tiger worms to function properly, so Mr. McBride has been buying large amounts from a university in Addis Ababa. He is currently trialing another species found in the soil locally, which may in future provide a totally free alternative. “If these work as well as we hope, I can see a point in the future where all of the toilets Oxfam builds in refugee camps are worm toilets. It’s so simple it’s a no-brainer,” he added.
Read more at https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/uk/tiger-worms-ingenious-solution-sanitation-refugee-camps/
Tiger toilet
The Tiger Toilet, unlike any other solution currently available, addresses the most critical yet unmet needs of users. The toilet uses pour flushing, in which the user pours a small amount (1-2 litres) of water in the toilet pan after use. After a user flushes, the highly efficient worm-based ecosystem in the digester rapidly eliminates faecal solids and prevents their build up. The worms remove up to 99% faecal bacterial pathogens from the solid waste. Of the total mass that enters the digester and is consumed by the worms, around 10-15% is converted into vermicompost and left behind in the digester. The rest is converted into carbon dioxide and water vapour, which escapes into the air, and high-quality liquid effluent. Together, the worms and the proprietary sequential filtration system ensure that this resulting effluent is of much higher quality than that from both septic tanks and pit latrines. The digester design allows this effluent to safely percolate into the surrounding soil. Given these advantages, users experience no bad smells or flies in or around the toilet. The vermicompost buildup is very slow and users need not extract it out of the digester for up to 8-10 years.
http://tigertoilet.com/about-us/
USAID
At the outset of the trial we didn’t know how the composting worms, which are the heart of this technology, would respond to different environments. We were thrilled to learn and are proud to announce that the Tiger Toilet has operated successfully with consistent daily use in a variety of settings and environmental conditions. The Tiger Toilets have survived fluctuating temperatures, a monsoon in India, occasional overuse, and even flooding in Myanmar! At the end of the trial, around 80% of the systems were still working well and the other 20% could be readily restored.
http://divatusaid.tumblr.com/post/129143507492/the-results-are-in-tiger-toilets-field-trial
It’s not surprising that one of the main reasons users cite for liking the system is the relative lack of odor (compared to the currently prevalent pit latrines). Additionally, because the solid waste is digested by the composting worms almost as quickly as it’s added, we estimate that the Tiger Toilet digester tank will only need emptying every five years. Even better, what will be emptied is vermicompost, which is a lot safer and easier to handle than latrine sludge.
The Tiger Toilet is cheaper to install and maintain than septic tanks, and comparable to the costs of pit latrines. As we continue to refine and improve the design, we’re confident that these expenses will continue to drop. The next challenge is to make this affordable solution more widely available.
http://divatusaid.tumblr.com/post/129143507492/the-results-are-in-tiger-toilets-field-trial
Technical evaluations
Follow the link for some Vermifiltration toilet science
All the Tiger Toilets were still being used after six months and the users are actively interested in the monitoring of the systems (i.e. looking into the vermifilter when it was being inspected). Most users were astonished that the waste was not accumulating, but was being converted into vermicompost. Reasons that they liked the Tiger Toilet were that they did not smell nor attract flies nor mosquitoes like the septic tanks in the village. They thought it was safer for women and more convenient during the rainy season. One of the main indicators for user satisfaction with the Tiger Toilet is all users were willing to keep using the toilets once the trial had ended.
The Tiger Toilet: From Concept to Reality (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278035736_The_Tiger_Toilet_From_Concept_to_Reality [accessed Jul 20, 2017].
How our toilet evolves the concept
- Ferrocement build for lightweight durability or prefabrication
- Reusable formwork for easy deployment off-grid
- Integrated Wastewater gardens for Mulch and fodder for automatic discharge of effluent
- Separate Greywater outlet for showers and maintenance wastewater
- Changing Tiger worms (Eisenia sp) to Malay Blue worms (Perionyx excavatus), which are the preferred species for digesting human biosolids
- Dual vermifiltration chambers as backup
- Aesthetics tailored to very Traditional Sasak tribe architectural styles found in Old Lombok villages
- Other design modifications in progress - still designing as we go along
Very Traditional Sasak architecture in Desa Sade, Central Lombok
Traditional render in Desa Sade using clay and cow manure
This project is fully funded by
This build is funded by Ecoregions Indonesia, as part of their ongoing support for the people of Sekaroh forest, with a 9 million Indonesian rupiah research and build budget, along with the use of Ecoregions staff hours to make and test the prototype. After some months testing, we hope to also gather some Steem community support to continue prototype and business model development for job creation.
We hope you follow our progress towards a workable solution to these problems that is socially acceptable, economically sound and environmentally beneficial.
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