Strange Neighbour's Toilet question

[Nat]

Here's a point for discussion. A friend has a neighbour who, in his back garden has seen fit to install a toilet which works on some eco principle or other too arcane for the average man. (it's basically a long drop in a little shed surrounded by shrubs which allegedly "suck up" and/or "neutralise" the effluent.) It's in daily use by at least three people (not the neighbour himself, "long term guests" allegedly - the kind that do work around the place in return for no-questions-asked lodging and the occasional lift to the dole office) and has obviously built up a backlog (ie heap) of "product". OK. It smells. There are mega rats running about in my friends garden. It isn't nice at all. My poor friend, having had a mildly unpleasant experience once before with his neighbour, is loth to confront him. (said neighbour is unfortunately a bully and an arrogant s*d).

What's to do? Neighbour disputes aren't nice, but then neither is a pile of human poo 20 feet from your kitchen window. Anyone have any elegant and constructive solutions? I'm a bit at a loss as to what to advise my friend - except for the usual "have a friendly discussion with next door" type advice. (not likely to be very helpful I'm afraid)

I'd appreciate your help on this. Thanks, Nat.

[Darren Griffin - PocketGPSWorl]

I'd have thought a chat with Environmental Health would be the first thing.

[Steve Firth]

Environment Agency. He needs a license for private sewage disposal, which he probably wont get for this pile of crap.

[Dave Liquorice]

Aye, just an anonymous phone call if needs bee complaining of rats and 'orrible semll. Once they visit they will take a very keen interest in the "long drop"... I don't know about the legality or otherwise of such a facilty though but I doubt it's legal.

[P.R.Brady]

I think your neighbour would find that chatting to the Environmental Health department at the local council about it would be instructive. I expect they will have a very keen interest in the rats, in the sewage disposal aspects, in conformance with building regulations, council tax, water course pollution, etc.

Phil

[Stuart]

He obviously hasn't designed it properly as I have seen on television eco friendly bogs whereby all the "stuff" turns in to compost .No smell or nothing . I seem to remember it being a wooden shed with the usual toilet seat and a container down below where the compost was created . I cant remember about the liquid side of things tho'. It resembled the compost you get in bags from garden centres . The presence of rats--does that not indicate the presence of food ?? Stuart

[Peter Crosland]

Report it to the Environmental Health Department at you local District Council and to the Environment Agency. The latter will be much less willing to be fobbed off than the former.

[MJ]

This all reminds me of a trip through Death Valley a while ago. In the middle of nowhere we came across one of those toilet cabin things in a parking area and stopped to use it. Having an inquisitive nature I got a torch and shone it inside. There was a pit probably about 8ft square and maybe 10ft deep. The pyramid of human exhaust came up to about a couple of feet short of the seat. No smell either. Very interesting.

MJ

[Andy Hall]

Hardly surprising. The whole world knows that American's sh*t doesn't stink....... ;-)

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Tim Downie]

Reminds me of an article I read about a toilet in the antarctic. Apparently a cross beam in the pit below the toilet would collect excreta and the build up was know locally as a "stalagshite".

For some reason, that word will be with me for ever more. ;-)

Tim

[Mary Fisher]

How do you know it was 10' deep?

We used to stay in an ancient dwelling on the North York Moors with a corrugated iron roof and no sanitation except an Elsan. It was awful and there were a lot of us so after our first visit we dug a long drop in the garden. Spouse had been a scout. We had to buy and eat a can of something so that the empty could be left on the excavated pile of Earth. A chair frame with no seat was placed over the hole and a screen put round it (no idea why - there was no-one else around for miles) and it was all very comfortable.

The can was filled with loose Earth and the contents cast over whatever had gone into the hole. It was clean and sweet and odourless for as long as we were there. Seven of us, occasionally with guests, for three or four weeks several times a year.

The next time we went we'd try and remember where the last hole was and dig another. The person with the longest arm had the job of excavating but it never was anything like filled. Nature did its job very well.

Mary

[Elessar]

For the real DIY enthusiast who wants to make an earth closet -

[Mary Fisher]

Mary

[MJ]

Errrrr........because I shone a torch inside and looked?????

MJ

[Mary Fisher]

Yes, but if the ordure came to within 2' of the seat, even if it were a pyramid, how could you see the bottom?

As it were ...

Mary

[Peter Crosland]

Do let the NG know how you get on Nat.

[Mathew J. Newton]

Err... Perhaps the base of the pyramid was narrower than the width of the pit?

Mathew

[Mary Fisher]

interesting.

Obviously. But was the base 8' square? It probably was - but how deep was the base?

Mary

[Ian Stirling]

If the pyramid was 8 feet high, it's very unlikely to be 8 feet square, unless you've got severe digestive problems.

I find it hard to believe it'd be less than 16' across at the bottom.

[The Natural Philosopher]

You obviously did NOT attend any of the great pop festivals of teh 60's and early 70's.

Inspection shows thet a turd pyrimaid was stable up to an angle approaching 80 degress, due possibly to the large vegetarian and baked bean consumption there. And due to the constipating effect of the many amphetamine and hallucinogenic compounds,and especially cannabis.

Since the drigs ALWAYS kick in as one approaches Barstow (*), I suspect its similar in modern day Death Valley.

Or perhaps the high temperature and relatively low humidity make instant dehydrated turd-u-like the dish of the day, every day.

(*) CF Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.