A toilet is not just a nice luxury. It’s a necessity for a dignified, healthy, and safe life. Having a toilet and safely managed sanitation services improves community health by eliminating preventable waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhea. And a good toilet improves safety, since it can be dangerous to find a place to go outside especially at night, and especially for women and girls
A dry toilet is a toilet that operates without flush water. The dry toilet may be a raised pedestal on which the user can sit, or a squat pan over which the user squats. In both cases, excreta (both urine and faeces) fall through a drop hole.
Dry toilet:
- Does not require a constant source of water
- Can be built and repaired with locally available materials
- Low capital and operating costs
- Suitable for all types of users (sitters, squatters, washers, wipers)
A dry toilet refers specifically to the device over which the user sits or squats. In other literature, a dry toilet may refer to a variety of technologies, or combinations of technologies (especially pits). Design Considerations
The dry toilet is usually placed over a pit; if two pits are used, the pedestal or slab should be designed in such a way that it can be lifted and moved from one pit to another.
The slab or pedestal base should be well sized to the pit so that it is both safe for the user and prevents stormwater from infiltrating the pit (which may cause it to overflow). The hole can be closed with a lid to prevent unwanted intrusion from insects or rodents.
Pedestals and squatting slabs can be made locally with concrete (providing that sand and cement are available). Fiberglass, porcelain and stainless-steel versions may also be available. Wooden or metal moulds can be used to produce several units quickly and efficiently.