The CHP Dry Toilet Solutions
How
the Otji-Toilet works
Frequently
Asked Questions
The
new Urine Diversion Bowl
The
CHP Degradation Toilet
South-South
interchange
Plans - Manuals - Leaflets
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Functional Plan Otji Toilet
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Building Plan Otji Toilet
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Functional Plan Degradation Toilet
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Otji-Toilet leaflet
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Otji-Toilet self builder manual
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How to install the UDS Bowl
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Case Study "Otji-Toilets for peri-urban informal households"
Otji-Toilets in Orvetoweni/Otjiwarongo
different types of Otji-Toilets
Saving
Water with the Otji-Toilet
In Namibia water is a scarce resource, and local sources can't meet the
growing demand.
The CHP’s Dry Toilet Solutions offer an ecological and economical alternative
- different innovative systems are helping to save water and money.
How
the Dry Toilet System works 
A perforated container under the toilet pot separates solid from liquid.
The solid stays in the perforated container, while the liquid runs through
a perforated concrete panel into a second chamber. From there, the liquid
filtrates into the ground.
After more or less six months the container is filled with solid. With a long steel hook it can easily be moved to the drying area of the tank. There it will dry out and reduce weight as well as volumen. Meanwhile a second container is collecting the droppings under the toilet pot. After another six months, when the second container is full, the dry solid will be removed from the first container, which can then be used for the next turn. So maintenance is only needed twice a year.
Due the perforated concret panel, the tank stays clean and hygienic all
the time. A sun based ventilation system at the back of the toilet, always
facing to the north, provides fresh air, which keeps it dry and ensures
an odourless use. For inside toilets we add an electrical Volt fan, solar
based or grid, for night ventilation.
Visitors are invited to get more information about this technology
at the CHP in Otjiwarongo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Otji-Toilet get full?
Incorrect application and a lack of maintenance are typical problems of
technical installations in rural areas. Taking into account this experience,
the Otji-Toilet has been developed to be simple and resistant against
improper use. As it is open to the soil below, even a lot of liquid would
rather seep into the ground than soak the solid. Moreover, poor maintenance
does not lead to the collapse of the whole system. If the toilet is falsely
used while the perforated container is already full, the solid builds
up a blocking of the toilet pot and closes the Otji-Toilet automaticly
until maintenance is done.
Do I still need to be connected to a sewage system
if I have the Otji-Toilet installed?
In cities like Otjiwarongo municipalities cannot meet the immense demand
for new erven (plots of land). Although there is enough land that could
be built on, developing this land and especially connecting it to the
local sewage system is extremely expensive. With the employment of the
CHP's dry toilet a sewage system for low cost housing becomes dispensable.
Local authorities can develop new erven at a very low cost.
Will
a dry toilet contaminate the ground water of my region?
Environmental researchers agree that the mixing of solid and liquid droppings
is to be regarded as the main problem of dry toilets which don't use a
sealed tank. The Otji-Toilet, however, separates solid from liquid by
collecting the solid in the container. Therefore, it does not fit into
the category of traditional latrines and effectively prevents contamination.
Nonetheless, the system has been developed for regions which don't serve
as freshwater resource areas and it should only be installed after having
received official permission to do so.
Can
the content of the droppings in the container be used as a fertilizer?
Yes, the droppings collected can be used as a high-quality fertilizer.
However, experience has shown that many people do not only use the toilet
as a sanitary facility but as a general dumping place. After the composting
period the fertilizer should be separated from plastic and other undesirable
components.
How
much does the dry toilet system cost?
The Otji-Toilet has been optimized to be affordable for low cost housing.
It is made out of common building materials and a skilled mason can build
up the installation without further assistance. Moreover, the system is
designed to minimize running and maintenance costs leading to a win-win
situation for individual water-bill payers, municipalities and private
water supply companies that often struggle trying to gain acceptance for
their cost-recovery strategy.
If you are interested in receiving an up-to-date pricelist of the required
building materials or if you have more questions, please don’t hesitate
to contact
us.
Affordable,
efficient and eco-friendly
the new developed CHP UDS
Bowl
The Advanced
Urine Diversion System without any need of user instructions, tunes up
sustainable dry sanitation to modern convenience
Why are UDS Bowls
up to now not a success story?
In most of the existing dry toilet systems
solid and liquid drop together in a tank from where the liquid gets separated
due to filtration. That way the solid gets wet by the urine, then creating
odour and attracting insects.
Much better is the prior separation in the toilet bowl. But most of the
many attempts on designing urine diversion bowls on the market are not
working properly nor are they accepted by the users, because they tend
to be uncomfortable.
The CHP
advanced UDS Bowl is quiet different
The bowl works safely and simple and can be used for any
type of dry toilet. No advice or instruction is required for its usage.
For the toilet user this new bowl does not differ from standard bowls.
This UDS bowl catches the urine, regardless whether from women or men,
even when men are standing while letting water. The liquid is drained
away due to adhesion and filtered through a simple french drain into the
ground. There it does not cause contamination, as it is pure urine, without
solid.
The CHP bowl in this way separates more than 80 % of the urine from the
solid. The solid dry faster, is composting easier and therefore emit fewer
odours. This new advanced UDS Bowl is developed and patented from the
CHP manager Peter Arndt, in close cooperation with Grupo Sofonias, member
of the EcoSur network.
The
CHP toilet solution for remote areas, where maintenance always causes
problems.
The degradation
toilet ist recommended for use of one family (3-5 person) and is delivered
togethter with the CHP urine diversion toilet bowl. The degradation toilet
can be used for at least 10 years without any maintenance.
Doesn't
matter where the urin hits the
the
bowl, it is drained away
cross
section Urine Catching bowl
A simple looking
but advanced technology
The Otji-Toilet - an South-South interchange
In 2009 the
production of the new developed UDS Bowls was started by Peter Arndt in
Ecuador. Together with the UDS Bowl the Otji-Toilet was then successfully
used by the EcoSur Network in Ecuador for several projects in rural areas.
After the earthquake in early 2010 the Namibian dry toilet technology
was implemented in Haiti. Meanwhile the well adapted Otji-Toilet technology
was brought by the EcoSur Network even to Nicaragua and El Salvador where
it is always installed together with the new UDS-Bowl.
More information on the dry toilet projects implemented by the Ecosur Network on www.ecorsur.org
modified Otji-Toilets in El Salvador and in Ecuador