The Never-Ending Problem of Human Waste: Field Hygiene and Sanitation – Part Three, by LiquoredRabbit

Why should I care about Field Hygiene and Sanitation? – Part One, by LiquoredRabbit

“Wash Your Damn Hands”: Field Hygiene and Sanitation – Part Two, by LiquoredRabbit

Fun Fact:

During Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia from 1990-1991, sanitation measures were either non-existent or insufficiently regulated at ports and other locations with high troop concentrations. As a result, soldiers were compelled to navigate areas where human waste was leaking from outdoor latrines to access shower facilities, they also were too close together. In conjunction with other sanitation concerns, these unsanitary conditions were significant contributors to the outbreak of numerous cases of Shigella, a diarrheal disease.

Identifying the problem.

Nature is always calling and finding the right place for it all to go can become an issue, but necessary to keep disease out of camp. There are many ways to solve the problem of where this waste can go, but each solution needs to be tailored to each group and what will work for them. Also, balance that with other important factors to maximize these facilities’ efficiency. The two largest factors are the group’s overall size and the terrain type that they are residing in. This mainly refers to whether the soil is easy to dig into as well as where the water table lies in that area. As most of these solutions require a lot of digging, having full-size shovels will be necessary. Although it can be done with e-tools it is a horrible experience (trust me it sucks) and makes this crappy task even worse. The best-case scenario is having a small backhoe or other earthmoving equipment, which will come in handy for this task and save a lot of time and effort. There are also specific distances that these facilities need to be located. Those being, at least 300ft downwind and downhill from any food, at least 100ft from any ground-water source, and at least 100ft from any sleeping areas but within a reasonable distance for easy access and at least 3 feet above the water table (TB 593). The other limitations can be the material needed to construct some of these, such as nonporous material, or additional dirt. Make sure you scout your area thoroughly first and think of all these factors when choosing your solutions, because you don’t want to get halfway through building one of these just to find out you can’t complete it for some reason, or your facility isn’t large enough, forcing you to build another one sooner than anticipated.

What are some of the options?

Each one of these options has its pros and cons, but the main ideas remain the same. Disposing of waste as far and as deep as practically possible, keeping the facility as ergonomic as possible, while also trying to keep as much rainwater and flies away as you can. To find out roughly how many latrines you will need plan to have 1 toilet seat per 25 males or 17 females. Also, plan that each person will have 1 bowel movement per day and urinate about 3 times per day, this is to help how long a latrine can be open before needing to be filled in and closed. As always nothing is exact, but this is a great starting point to keep in mind. I have also put these options in order of practicality, trying to balance out the ease of construction, with the capacity, while also keeping in mind special considerations like equipment/ logistical requirements or tactical considerations. More or less I do not believe any of these options to be “bad” but the requirements to run/ maintain may not be practical for the guerrilla.

Straddle Trench Latrine

This is a simple shallow trench that is narrow enough to straddle and squat over. They usually are no deeper than 2 ½ feet, this helps to keep them above the water table, but because of that they are only intended to be used for about 3 days if you have a lot of people in your camp. One 4-foot-long trench is sufficient for 50 males or 34 females. That would be approximately 110-150 uses before needing to be closed.

This latrine is very simple to make and only requires a little digging. Each should be 2 ½ ft deep, 4 ft long, and 1 ft wide. Do not go over 1 ft as then you will not be able to squat over the trench easily. Make sure to have a place to keep the toilet paper off the ground and covered to keep it dry, add on some tarp walls for privacy, and you’re ready to go. The latrine should be closed and filled with dirt when waste reaches about 1 ft from the top of the trench.

To use this latrine, you will squat over it, with the trench in between your legs. Also, have a place to keep the toilet paper off the ground and covered to keep it dry. You can add some helpful amenities to help keep people from falling in. I would recommend plywood or something sturdier for your feet to step on and a handrail or rope to help keep your balance throughout this wonderful experience. This facility also requires each user to cover their feces with a thin layer of dirt to keep the flies down.

Deep Pit Latrine

This is a much larger facility; it is much deeper and wider to accommodate a lot more waste. Consequently, in areas where the water table is too high other options will need to be used. This is also the case if the ground is too hard to hand-dig and no earth-moving equipment is available. Once constructed, this facility can stay open for weeks or even months depending on the depth of the hole. This option will also need a toilet seat box to sit on top of the hole, this is needed because of the larger size, but adds to the comfort of the facility as well as keeps the flies down because of the seat lid. The example below will accommodate over 1,875 uses before needing to be filled and closed. For a group of 10 that would be about 187 days of use. This is only one example, the size can be changed as needed, just make sure a toilet box can fit on top securely. The latrine should be closed and filled with dirt when waste reaches about 1 ft from the top of the trench.

When building this make sure you double-check where this will be placed as a lot of digging is needed to complete this facility. The measurements to make this facility will be dependent on how large your toilet box will be. For example, the 4-seat box depicted would be 8 feet long, 2 ½ feet wide, and 16 inches tall. Add a lid for each seat, as well as something to deflect any urine from hitting the wall of the box instead of going into the pit. This also helps to prevent erosion from occurring within the pit walls. The pit underneath would be 8 ft long and 2 ft wide. The depth, as referenced by ATP 4-25.12, should “equal one foot for each week the latrine will be used, plus one foot for the dirt cover for when the latrine is closed.” The only problem is that in our SHTF scenario we don’t know the length of time we will need it, so I recommend sticking with 6 ft deep unless you have the means to internally support the walls from collapsing. That 6-foot depth will give you 5 feet of usable space.

Pail Latrine

Where the deep pit can not be used this facility is easily able to be made instead. This latrine is maintenance-heavy and requires diligent daily emptying. That means that the waste still must be carried to a disposal area or burned. Full PPE (gloves, glasses, apron, mask, hat) for individuals who clean these facilities is extremely recommended, but at the least gloves and protective eyewear are required. This is not an ideal situation as anyone who must clean this facility is at high risk of getting in direct contact with waste and cleanliness will already be an imposing problem if using this latrine. Please use care if this is the option you may need to use.

This latrine uses the same seat boxes as the deep pit, but it is modified to fit a pail underneath and to access them from the rear of the box. The best way to do this is to add a floor to the bottom of the box and a hinged door to access the pails underneath. The box should be placed on a slight slope that tapers to the rear of the box for use when cleaning.

After each use a light covering should be added to keep the bugs and smell down. The pails also must be cleaned at least once daily, or when they become half-filled. After the pails are cleaned, they will need to be filled with about an inch of disinfectant solution prior to being used again.

Mound Latrine

This facility is very similar to the deep pit latrine but is utilized when digging into the ground is not possible, such as a large rock formation, or the water table is too high. In essence, it is a deep pit latrine that is built on top of the ground, instead of into the ground. This is extremely hard to construct without equipment and will require a lot of extra dirt to build up the mound. It also requires lumber or logs to be used to support the walls of the pit within the mound. Although this may be very impractical for most, this is still an option for some who may have the resources and need a larger facility. The latrine should be closed and filled with dirt when waste reaches about 1 ft from the top of the trench.

Starting out the mound of dirt will have to be built first, For a 4-seat box, the mound has to be at least 6 ft wide and 12 ft long. Add 1 foot of material at a time until the desired height is met. In this example, it is 6 ft high. Make sure to taper the mound so it can be walked up without too much trouble. Once at the desired height treat the rest of the construction like you are building a deep pit latrine. Cut the pit into the mound while adding support material to help hold up the walls. Once that is all completed the same type of seat box can be placed on top. To make it easier to use add some railings or cut in steps to help people walk to the top of the mound. Also, be aware that liquid may seep from the bottom of the mound so be careful of contamination.

Bored-Hole Latrine

This is a single seat that sits atop a hole that was dug by an auger. This facility is a very easy one to make but requires equipment that can run an auger attachment. The capacity is directly correlated to how deep the auger can dig into the ground. These do not take up a lot of space and can be put in very quickly with the proper equipment. Keep in mind where the local water table is to not contaminate it. The latrine should be closed and filled with dirt when waste reaches about 1 ft from the top of the trench.

To make this as efficient as possible use the largest auger that your equipment can handle, the diameter does not need to be specific. Dig down as deep as the equipment will let you go, up to 20 feet deep. Then remove the bottom of a 55-gallon drum and sink it into the ground until approximately 18 inches out of the ground. Cover the top of the drum with a toilet seat that has a good lid. If you need to add more, these can be placed just over one foot from each other in any direction.

Chemical Toilets

These will be your Porta-potties or self-contained, all-in-one, portable units that use disinfectant solution to help keep bacteria under control. The smaller portable camper-type latrine would be similar to the pail latrine. Usually, the capacity will be smaller than a pail, but the maintenance would be similar. Clean out at least once per day, or if the unit is halfway filled, then fill it with some disinfectant solution. Also, to keep down infection chances, this unit still needs to be used away from camp just like the other latrines, refrain from the temptation of keeping this unit near living spaces.

Larger chemical toilets, like Porta-potties, would be a great solution but they have specific logistical/ equipment requirements to run properly. Since almost all these units don’t have any way to drain out the basin, they rely on a vacuum system to remove the contents. That is usually truck mounted that will still have to be emptied somewhere, such as a wastewater lagoon which many do not have access to. With that said, because of their purpose-built construction and familiarity with people it makes answering nature’s call a lot more comfortable, while also containing a lot of waste before needing to be emptied. It is also easily cleaned by just spraying the inside with a disinfectant. Don’t count out your neighbors on this one either, this is a great opportunity to build your community by finding people who work in this industry that may be able to lend their expertise or equipment to make things work. We cannot do this all by ourselves.

Burnout Latrine

As the name implies, this facility involves the burning of human waste so that it is no longer a vector for infection. It is used in conditions where digging is not practical or possible and you also do not have an appropriate area to dump waste because of these conditions. This facility is built similarly to the pail latrine but a little larger to accommodate removable metal drums. They also can be used as individual units by building a seat to go on top of a 55-gal drum like in the bored-hole latrine. The only difference is that you will want to minimize the amount of urine in the barrel as it will dilute the waste, making it slightly harder to burn completely. When burning this also becomes a huge health hazard, not only the smoke, but as a burn risk to those having to burn the contents. to mention the smell that is not at all pleasant. The other thing to think about is you will have a very tall pillar of smoke that everyone can see and is probably not the best tactical decision if you are trying to keep your camp concealed. These factors make this probably your absolute last resort for human waste disposal.

The construction is rather simple you just need to cut some 55-gal drums in half but keep the bottom and add some handles to the sides to make them easier to move. Finish off with a seat and lid that can be removed when burning. Multi-units are just like the pail latrine just make sure the barrels are easy to remove so they don’t spill. This example included walls and a bug screen for added comfort and ventilation.

The latrine should be cleaned at least once per day or when it becomes half-full. You should use a slower-burning fuel like diesel or motor oil to help reduce the risk of explosions.  Make sure you are wearing at least gloves, goggles, and long sleeves for PPE. Use a stand-off object to light the mixture and stand upwind out of the smoke. Do not add any more fuel once it is already lit and it’s good to have some fire control measures, like some dirt, to smother it out if something goes wrong. Burn the material until it is rendered dry and odorless, you may have to burn it down a couple of times. Once only the residue of ash remains take what is left and bury it away from your camp.

What about that Cat-hole thing?

A cat-hole is a single-use latrine that is made by digging a small hole (about 12”x12”) and filling it once you’re done. I left the cat-hole last as it is not meant in any way to be used for long-term/ stationary waste control. The cat-hole should only be used if you are a very small group that is currently moving from one place to another, never in a standing camp. This is because their use will cause one of two large issues. First is that you’re going to have cat holes all over your campsite and you never know when you’re going to step on a landmine. Even if you designate an area to use these in you never know if you’re going to unearth someone else’s waste while looking for a place of your own. Also because of how shallow they are, they tend to have a higher chance of runoff into other areas because it adds problems to anyone who may be downhill from your minefield.

Other thoughts on how to maintain them.

There are also some other things you can do to help keep all latrines as clean as possible while helping to prolong the time a facility can be used. After each use, the waste should be covered with something to keep the bugs and smell to a minimum. A light coating of dirt is great for this, but you can use any number of things such as cat litter or sawdust (pine can add a good scent as well).  To help combat insects you can spray pesticides (homemade or commercial) around any of these latrines, but do not spray the contents as those larvae help to break down the waste quicker. You also can add certain enzymes and larvae to improvised latrines. There are currently many commercial options available, but always be sure to know what is around the facility so as not to contaminate anything that may be nearby. Another option that works on some homesteads is adding soldier-fly larvae to a pit latrine to help break down waste. They are efficient at this and can prolong or in some cases prevent latrines from ever needing to be closed or rotated. The added benefit is that, unlike houseflies, they tend to avoid humans and will return to the same place to reproduce, helping to keep a latrine self-sustaining.

Last thoughts

Humans have been pooping for quite some time now and some people, even today, still run some kind of latrine not connected to the water system with no problems. There are many ways to solve the problem of what to do with human waste. These couple of options provide flexibility and the ability to easily scale each facility to the needs of your group.

Don’t forget to wash your damn hands.

Citations

Headquarters, Dept. of the Army (2006, Sept.) Guidelines for Field Waste Management TB MED 593

Headquarters, Dept. of the Army (2014, April) Unit Field Sanitation Teams ATP 4-25.12

Headquarters, Dept. of the Army (2000) Preventive medicine services FM4-02.17