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Getting A Composting Toilet Approved

So you've contacted your local building department and you've discovered that composting toilets are not on their list of "approved" fixtures for homes in your area. Or worse, you've already installed a composting toilet, only to have the building department provide you with a corrective action request. What do you do now? The situation may not be as difficult to resolve as you'd think. Remember, the primary goal of every building department is to protect the health and safety of its citizens through responsible building methods and the use of safe building supplies. If you can demonstrate to them that your composting toilet is safe and non-polluting, you will likely get the approval you seek without any problems.

The first guideline is to play by the rules. Get as much information as you can from your building department. Ask for any handouts related to plumbing work, plumbing code, and fixtures. They should also be able to provide you with the paperwork you'll need to fill out to request an approval of your composting toilet system. Fill everything out as completely as you can.

Next, gather as much documentation as you can about your specific composting toilet. A copy of the instruction and installation manual is critical. This will provide your local building department officials with information about how the toilet works and how you'll maintain it. Also be sure to include any documentation available about the toilet's approvals, listings, certifications, and testing it has undergone with various agencies and independent research organizations. Here at the Composting Toilet Store, every toilet we sell has been independently tested and certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), and you should be sure to include a copy of the NSF listing along with the other paperwork for your local building department. This listing is proof that our composting toilets are sanitary and will not contaminate the environment. The testing documentation will also show that, when used properly, our composting toilets will produce a sanitary end compost that won't make anyone sick.

Below is a list of quick links to instruction/installation manuals for all the composting toilets sold here at the Composting Toilet Store.

Instruction/Installation Manuals:

Excel Family (Excel, Excel NE, and Excel AC/DC)

Spacesaver and Compact

Mobile (AC configuration)

Mobile 12V

Centrex 1000 Family (Centrex 1000, 1000 NE, and 1000 AC/DC)

Centrex 2000 Family (Centrex 2000, 2000 NE, and 2000 AC/DC)

Centrex 3000 Family (Centrex 3000, 3000 NE, and 3000 AC/DC)

Centrex 2000 AF Family (Centrex 2000 AF, 2000 AF NE, and 2000 AF AC/DC)

Centrex 3000 AF Family (Centrex 3000 AF, 3000 AF NE, and 3000 AF AC/DC)