Sanitario Seco Solar (Solar Dry Toilet)

The solar dry toilet has two main components, the cabin and dehydration container storage. Both components can be built with the same materials (e.g., masonry walls) or a combination of prefabricated and on-site building methods (e.g., prefabricated container storage and masonry cabin).

The layout of the cabin consists of a rectangular space of 1 x 1.5 m and 2.2 m ceiling height. The floor level of the cabin interior is 45 cm elevated from the ground. The material for the roof varies depending on the context, being the most common solution corrugated metal panels. The door of the cabin can also be fabricated with metal panels or wood panels and the window can be made with tilted bricks (in the case of the masonry building system) or with a metal frame.

The dehydration container storage is formed by the sanitary slab/seat and container itself. The sanitary seat is prefabricated with reinforced concrete and its design separates urine from excreta. An additional wood lid can be used to cover the slab hole to avoid bad smells. The container storage measures approximately 1.3 x 1 x 0.85 m in height. The base of the container storage is leveled with the existing ground. A vital component of the container storage is the exterior cover. This component is made of a steel frame and covered with a translucent polycarbonate panel that allows sunlight to act on the storage. For the case of Paraguay, the exterior cover must be oriented to the North to gain as much sunlight as possible.

Provided by the designer.

The exact lifetime of this product is unknown. However, buildings in Paraguay that use similar materials and building methods (ceramic bricks, concrete columns, and cement boards) can last more than ten years with adequate maintenance.

Testing performed by the manufacturer, in collaboration with the Paraguayan government through the Servicio Nacional de Saneamiento Ambiental (SENASA) and the School of Architecture, Design, and Arts at National University of Asuncion (FADA-UNA) determined an increase of 9-10 °C above ambient temperature inside the dehydration container storage. This increase is mainly due to the use of a container cover made of translucent polycarbonate panel and its correct orientation. According to the test, this represents a 100% temperature increase compared with similar solar dry toilets tested by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

No known safety hazards are related to this product.