Sanitation Without Plumbing: The Two-Bucket Toilet
When the toilet doesn't flush, disease spreads fast. We explain how to set up a sanitary two-bucket emergency toilet system for liquid and solid waste. Learn the hygiene protocols that keep your family healthy.
It is the subject no one wants to talk about, but it killed more people in history than bullets: Dysentery and Cholera. When the grid goes down, the sewage pumps stop. If you continue to flush your toilet, it will eventually back up into your bathtub.
Stop flushing. You need a Twin Bucket System.
Why Two Buckets?
Separating liquid (urine) from solid (feces) is the key to reducing smell and volume.
- Urine: Sterile when it leaves the body. Smells bad eventually but is safer. High volume.
- Feces: Biohazard. Contains pathogens. Low volume. Smells terrible.
The Setup
You need:
- Two 5-Gallon Buckets (Home Depot / Lowe's).
- Two Toilet Seat Lids (Luggable Loo or just pool noodles slit down the middle).
- Heavy Duty Trash Bags (Contractor bags are best).
- Carbon Material (Kitty litter, sawdust, peat moss, or shredded paper).
Bucket 1: "Number 1" (Liquid)
- The Method: Do not line this bucket. Use it "straight."
- Disposal: Dilute with water and dump it in the yard (away from food/water sources) or down a storm drain. Urine is great fertilizer for non-edible plants. Rinse the bucket daily with a little bleach.
Bucket 2: "Number 2" (Solid)
- The Method: Line this bucket with a heavy-duty bag. Put 2 inches of carbon material (sawdust/litter) in the bottom.
- The Protocol: Do your business. IMMEDIATELY cover it with a scoop of carbon material. This dries it out and traps the smell.
- Disposal: When 2/3 full, squeeze the air out, tie it tight, double bag it, and store it in a dedicated "waste" trash can outside. Do NOT bury it unless you know what you are doing (it contaminates groundwater). Wait for trash service to resume.
Hand Washing Station
You cannot touch the buckets and then touch your food.
- Set up a "Tippy Tap" or use a jug of water with soap next to the buckets.
- Rule: "If you touch the bucket, you scrub your hands."
Conclusion
It is gross, but it is survival. A backed-up sewer in your house is a biohazard event that will force you to evacuate. Control your waste, control your health.
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