Composting Restroom

Project Description

The Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) and the City’s Parks and Recreation Department installed a composting toilet on Schuylkill Banks near Walnut Street in August and September 2010. Special care was taken to keep the facility as small as possible and to fit it seamlessly into the Schuylkill Banks landscape.

This state of the art, waterless toilet depends on aerobic reaction to break down the waste product, which will eventually turn into a granular product similar to kitty litter which in turn be used as plant fertilizer. While the use of a composting toilet was dictated by the absence of a sanitary sewer line, it fits well with the environmental mission of Fairmount Park. The facility will save 300 gallons of flush water per day (9000 gallons/month; 109,500 gallons/year) and eliminate the need to treat the waste product at a treatment plant.

Project Team

Funding:Coastal Zone Management Grant Program (funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and administered by the PA DEP), Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and the City of Philadelphia

Design and Engineering: Wells Appel Landscape Architects

Restroom Design, Fabrication and Installation: BioSun Systems Inc.

Site work and Landscaping: Mizu Contracting, LLP.