Compost Toilet Research Project

2014-present

Project update 9/28/2016 – After 2 years of negotiations, OAEC is excited to partner with our county and regional agencies with the acquisition of an “Alternate Methods and Materials” research permit to install and trial composting toilet systems in our beautiful new guest accommodations as part of our Conservation Hydrology Demonstration Site.  We believe that composting toilets promise an age-old/cutting-edge solution to the most pressing environmental issues of our time including water quality and quantity, peak energy, and soil degradation. We are so thrilled to utilize our site, knowledge and community network to help usher composting toilets into widespread adoption.

The aim of this collaborative project is to work side-by-side with regulators to evaluate this technology for multi-unit and medium-scale commercial facilities, such as hotels and apartment buildings. Since the majority of our growing population lives in dense, urban settings, this is where solutions will have the greatest impact and where research is most needed. With the help of soil scientists from UC Davis and Stanford, the compost will be laboratory tested for pathogens, nutrient content and other contaminants. When research concludes, we will prepare a technical report of findings to present to our Sonoma County partner agencies. We hope to provide the hard data they need to make informed policy decisions that guarantee both public health and ecological integrity.