Objective: Evaluating dry toilet use in a rural area of Colombia.
Method: Fifteen families were selected by convenience sampling from the rural area of a municipality in the Cundinamarca department in Colombia. A dry (composting) toilet was installed in one house and used for demonstration purposes over a five-month period. An ex-post evaluation was made concerning technical and economic matters.
Results: A dry toilet is easy to construct/install and has environmental benefits associated with less contamination of water sources reduction and a reduced amount of chemical fertilizer. Dry toilets construction and operating costs may represent savings of Col$616973456 (US$308487) in the municipality being studied, compared to the costs involved in conventional toilet use. However, cultural barriers were found regarding their use.
Discussion: A large percentage of households in many countries rural sectors do not have a sewerage system for disposing of human waste. This situation creates significant challenges regarding environmental health and ecosystem conservation. Dry toilets represent an environmentally-acceptable solution from a technical and economic perspective; however, work is required concerning social and cultural factors producing cultural perceptions and prejudices about handling excreta to provide the necessary coverage and produce a significant impact on peoples awareness.