Emergency Home Preparation

Toilets: Burying Waste


3-Steps.org

From the NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY NOTEBOOK available at 3-Steps.org site (above)
Complete Notebook can be found here: http://3steps.org/40.html

SANITATION
http://3steps.org/58.html#59

Sanitation is a big issue in a disaster. Home toilets might be unusable, and “going in the bushes” is not very smart if you want to avoid disease. Even latrines can cause problems. In densely populated areas, improper handling of human waste can be a source of epidemic. More people can die of cholera caused by improper sanitation than die from the initial disaster. In the event of a disaster, you should stop flushing your toilets and stop using your drains immediately until notified by the city that it is all right. Even if your water is running and the system seems to be working, flushing toilets and using drains can cause sewage to back up into your homes. ---CONTINUED---

What Goes In, Must Come Out
https://tracemypreps.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/what-goes-in-must-come-out/

If it’s going to last longer, you’re going to need to start digging. For a temporary measure you can dig a trench latrine. The trench latrine should be about 4 – 6 feet long,1 foot wide, and 1 foot deep. Leave the dirt that was dug out on the side of the trench so that waste can easily be covered up; keep a shovel and a roll of toilet paper nearby. ---CONTINUED---

Digging a Cathole



Pooping in the Woods: How to Dig a Cathole
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-dig-a-cathole/

When nature calls and you’re in its house, no toilets are going to spring up out of the ground ready to use. A good outdoorsman knows to dispose of their waste properly, using Leave No Trace ethics to dig a cathole in an appropriate location. Properly executed, a cathole ensures that your business decomposes quickly so your favorite trails and outdoor havens stay clean and tidy. ---CONTINUED--- with illustration Guide