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Why Worms In the Toilet Might Be a Good Idea

Posted by timothy on from the as-if-it-wasn't-obvious dept.

derekmead writes "Billions worldwide still don't have access to proper sanitation, and those that do still require a ton of water and electricity to keep waste flowing. A French company is offering one solution: Use turd-eating worms to compost waste right at the source. Ecosphere Technologies has developed an outhouse that, rather than relying on chemicals like a port-a-john, relies on about a pound of red wiggler worms. A new installation in Quebec uses imported worms, placed inside of a mixture of dung and straw underneath to toilet, to devour feces delivered to them by a conveyor belt system. (When someone uses the toilet, pee filters through sand to wash away, while a pedal allows the user to transport their poo to the worm space.) The whole system uses no water or electricity, and a series of passive vents allegedly keeps the toilet smelling great. The company claims it can be used 10,000 times without servicing, which is far better than what a port-a-potty can boast, although with a current price tag of $40k for the worm system, port-a-potties are still a lot cheaper."

12 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. first worm! by ehack · · Score: 4, Funny

    first worm!

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    This is not a signature.
  2. Then who eats all the worm poo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It doesn't just vanish, you know?

    1. Re:Then who eats all the worm poo? by dreadlord76 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Next week, they will sell you an Aquaponics system, with worm shit eating plant, and worm eating fish, for $60K. The first time you take out a fish and eat it, you complete the cycle. For $100K.

    2. Re:Then who eats all the worm poo? by vivian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's bad enough when the waste pump on a boat toilet needs fixing - at least that thing's mostly a small sealed unit with just a couple of hoses clamped on. That's one conveyor belt that you'd want to make sure was damned reliable and never ever needed repairs rr maintenance on - it's going to be one hell of a nasty job if it gets so crusted up it can't move or the bearings go or something like that.

  3. Wormholes DO Exist! by Lefo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Surprised that wasn't said first. I signed up just for this bad pun. Well, not a lurker any more. :-)

  4. Re:$40K for 10,000 uses? by dreadlord76 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    $40K can put in a pretty big septic system, with cistern and rain catchment to provide the liquid for flushing. You can probably get a grey water pond out of it as well if you plan it right. Still, a lot of money for a pound of worms.

  5. Foreign critters by Migraineman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The article referenced by TFA says the worms are "... Eisenia fetida or red wiggler worms native to Europe imported from France and raised locally by Helene Beaumont ..." I'm currently being invaded by stink bugs imported from China, so I'm not particularly fond of folks proposing solutions that require importing non-native critters. Can't they find an indigenous turd-eating worm?

    1. Re:Foreign critters by Solandri · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The worms aren't necessary, and neither is the $40k price tag. There are already composting toilets available commercially in the $500-$2000 range. And even that's overpriced because they're relatively new. I've heard of people making their own with a 5 gallon bucket (cheapest way to test for yourself how well they work). All you need is a handful of peat moss or coconut husk, and a spoonful of microbes to get the process started.

      And before you ask, no they don't stink. The stinky smell comes from anerobic bacteria breaking down fecal matter. When you immerse feces in water, it cuts off the oxygen supply which kills the aerobic bacteria, and the stinky anerobic bacteria flourish. Because a composting toilet channels liquids away from the solids reservoir (the 5 gallon bucket works better for men), the aerobic bacteria dominate and break down the feces without causing the stink. Think about how much biomass there is outdoors in wild animals. If all their feces stank that badly as a sewage treatment plant, we'd never want to go outside.

      They're starting to become popular aboard boats, where dumping laws require toilets flush into holding tanks which can to be pumped out back at the harbor. These holding tanks and their plumbing tend to leak and stink up the boat after some years.

  6. That's slashdot for you! by eudaemon · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wish this joke was original with me... Slashdot: News for turds, Stuff that splatters. Saw it when we were last fascinated with Japanese toilets.

  7. Don't we already have good composting toilets? by dov_0 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In Australia we already use composting toilets on country roads for rest stops etc. They don't smell and are cheap to produce and maintain and the ventilation fan runs off a solar cell on the roof. Why should someone pay 40k for old tech?

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  8. Re:$40K for 10,000 uses? by digitig · · Score: 4, Informative

    10,000 uses was before servicing, not before complete replacement.

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    Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
  9. Invasive species by caseih · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Most people don't realize it, but the humble, ubiquitous earthworm is an invasive species in North America. Though you might think of it as useful and beneficial to the soil, in the forests of north America, the earthworm is causing a lot of damage. So I get a bit concerned when they start talking about throwing in "imported worms."