The toilet that makes humus An account of the Fossa alterna system and its usefulness in rural and peri-urban communities Morgan, P. (2004)
The following presentation deals with making humus in shallow pits by means of the Fossa alterna.
Foci are set on:
- How the Fossa alterna works (in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi)
- Stages of construction
- Routine management
- Changing pits
- Potential problems
- Hand washing devices
- Humus from the Fossa alterna
- Enhanced growth of vegetables with “Fossa humus”
The Fossa alterna is an alternating shallow pit system in which soil, ash, leaves and excreta (faeces and urine) are added regularly to the pit. The system uses two pits but only one pit is used at any one time, whilst the second composts the mix to make humus. The use of the pits alternates at yearly intervals. Because soil, leaves and ash are added regularly to each pit, the excreta can change into humus within 12 months - the filling time for a shallow pit (1.2 – 1.5 m deep) used by a family.
Bibliographic information
Morgan, P. (2004). The toilet that makes humus An account of the Fossa alterna system and its usefulness in rural and peri-urban communities Ecological Sanitation Research (EcoSanRes), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
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Composting, vermicomposting (solid waste), composting toiletsPeri-urbanRuralPractitionersPresentationsEnglish
Related Countries
MalawiMozambiqueZimbabwe
