As part of an overall wastewater management strategy, the Town of Falmouth has investigated the efficacy of diversion toilets or “eco-toilets” for the management of nutrient inputs to groundwater with specific reference to nitrogen and phosphorus. Eco-toilets are appliances that provide for the separation and routing of bodily waste (urine and/or feces and toilet paper) from residential sanitary wastewater, which is additionally comprised of “graywater” from various sources, such as sinks, showers or laundry wastewater. The investigation of eco-toilets in nitrogen sensitive areas stems from the theory that diverting nitrogen from wastewater reduces overall nitrogen entering groundwater via the septic tank-leach field system and may offer cost savings compared with other wastewater treatment and disposal methods. Two types of eco-toilets are investigated here: composting toilets and urine-diverting toilets.
