One of the authors, David Del Porto, has sold and and serviced thousands of composting toilets since 1972.  He has also help write industry performance and regulation standards, and designed composting toilets and graywater systems for Greenpeace facilities and for different developing countries.  He is one of the leading experts in his field and really knows the topic well.

In The Composting System B0ok you will find descriptions of over forty different composting toilet systems, including both manufactured and site-built composting toilets.  They discuss everything from what are the best toilet stools to go with your self-contained composting toilet to how to best install a micro-flush composting toilet in your home.  The book has extensive tips on how to choose, plan, and install your entire composting toilet system, including some information that the toilet manufacturers themselves will never tell you about how to maintain and install their composting toilets.  You will also find out how you can help reduce pollution and help protect yourself and your community against rising water and sewage costs in the future by choosing a composting toilet for your home.

The book also explains the manner in which new composting technology has improved so that composting toilets are now compatible with the most upscale bathrooms, while also providing extensive technical information about these systems (although it is about eight years old at this point and even more developments have been made in recent years).  In addition, The Composting Toilet System Book provides important information about United States permitting requirements for different states, as well as how these composting toilet systems can be best integrated with graywater systems.  If you are about to embark on the process of trying to get a permit for your composting toilet, you should definitely take a look at the information provided in this book.

You should be aware that the Composting Toilet System Book is not cheap, running around fifty dollars a copy.  But it is easily the best printed resource available for people installing and maintaining composting toilets in their homes, and is well worth the price.   The Composting Toilet System Book is available from many online retailers, and you can purchase it from Amazon.com here: The Composting Systems Book.

For more information about composting toilet systems, including additional reviews of composting toilet books, please return to Toilet Composting.

1.  The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins

Possibly the best known book about composting toilet waste, Jenkins book is a must for anybody interested in understanding the composting process.  Well researched, Jenkins has been one of the strongest proponents of using the compost from composting toilets for agricultural purposes.  In this book he outlines why he feels this is safe, and what you need to know about building and maintaining your composting toilet. Not everyone agrees with everything Jenkins says, but he makes his arguments persuasively and with concrete evidence to back his arguments up.

2.  The Toilet Papers by Sim Van der Ryn

This book was originally published in the 1970s, and made an important contribution to the back-to-land movement at that time.  Chelsea Green Publishing has just brought it back into print so that a whole new generation an enjoy its informative and at times irreverent style.  The book contains loads of information about the history of composting waste and several DIY plans for building your own composting toilet.  Some may consider some of the information a bit dated, but all in all, a great book!

3. Composting Toilet Systems Book by David del Porto and Carol Steinfield

Another excellent choice for the home composting toilet library.  Written in a less humorous and more serious style than the two selections above, this relatively recent publication has extensive information about current composting toilet systems and the public health aspects of composting human waste.  More than 40 different systems are discussed and the authors also include invaluable information about the regulatory requirements for composting toilets in every state in the United States.  Another must have!

For additional online resources about composting toilets, visit the online resources composting toilets page, where you will find an online version of Jenkin’s Humanure book, US EPA requirements for composting toilets and more.

For additional articles about composting toilet systems, please return to the Toilet Composting homepage.

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