Always check with your own council concerning planning permission before siting a compost toilet: They are mobile structures and generally do not need planning permission as they generally fall within permitted development rights, but each county or district has variations when it comes siting buildings which are mobile or with a degree of permanence, such as a wee hoose.

 

They are ecological, environmentally friendly, necessary to relieve oneself whilst enjoying the use of your land or are working on the land, and improve the local environment without pollution like normal loos. 

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Soakaways

If you use a soak-away then it needs to be no closer than 10 meters from any watercourse and no closer than 50 meters to any water borehole or spring. You must also be mindful of flood plains, slopes, and the water table. You can safely discharge and self-certify with an output of up to 10 liters of liquid per day in to the land without issue from the Environmental Agencies. 

 

If you are emptying the urine directly on to the land at a rate of less than 10 litres per day it can used around shrubs ad trees but be mindful of the water table and wells. Diluted with water it makes a great fertilizer.

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Solid waste

Your composting material (solid waste), if it is linked to a household, can be used on your own land with no permissions required.

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There are no waste products involved in the process of using a compost toilet and no sewage to be handled. Sewage is mixture of urine faeces and polluted waste water. 

 

If the compost loo is linked to a business then you may need to check your local regulations via your local council or Environmental Agency. There may be a need to see that it it is being composted responsibly. A compost area must not cause nitrogen run off to vent in to ditches or watercourses much in the same way urine should be monitored when siting a soakaway; 10m from a watercourse and 50m from a well.

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Please click the PDFs for basic information on the treatment and disposal of wastewater where there is no connection to the public foul sewer.

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