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Composting Toilet Project
The Dufferin Grove Park Bio Toilet
posted October 29, 2010
In the fall of 2005, Georgie Donais began talking to park users about combining a high-tech composting toilet with a low-tech cob building, with the goal of offering toilet facilities by the playground. Planned as a community-building project, the foundation was completed by volunteers with park program staff assistance during the summer of 2006. A private donor gave the park an $8000 "industrial-strength" bio-toilet. But controversy arose about the project, and building was halted while requirements were clarified and authorities were consulted. The revised plans as commissioned by the Parks branch would not allow a community-built structure, and to have the bio-toilet built by a contractor would have been prohibitively expensive. So the building of the Dufferin Grove Park bio-toilet was stalled. Then, in summer 2010, the Capital Projects section of Parks, Forestry and Recreation contracted a consultant to do a feasibility study, working with Georgie Donais, for reviving the project. Two public meetings are scheduled to discuss the consultant's proposals: November 8 and December 1.
The $8000 never-used donated bio-toilet is in storage and ready to install. If city councillors consider the standard price tag for a park toilet: $600,000 – and the price tag for the Exhibition Place rainwater-flush-toilet pilot project (over $900,000) – the bio-toilet seems a pretty good pilot project for public places where money is scarce but people still need a toilet.
CommentsBio-toiletsBio-toilets (modern composting toilets), of the sort that Georgie Donais got donated for Dufferin Grove Park, elicited some passionate opinions in this neighbourhood, on both sides... |
Other Composting ToiletsThere are by now quite a number in use in various places, including Vancouver, where a UBC building has relied on them since 1996 |
Picture Galleries |
NewsThe bio-toilet site has been temporarily transformed into earthen bench seating and a conversation area. Other activities: Toronto Botanical Garden or the Everdale Learning Centre here in Toronto or City Repair and Natural Building Colloquium in the States |
MediaAbout, or mention of, the project in the press  Tempest in a Composting Toilet September 17, 2006 Our Composting toilet made it on a Home Depot flyer: here |
Archiveclick on the Archive and you will find the original material as well as the proposal presented to the first public meeting and a collection of answers to frequently asked questions. |
 Simon, Greg, Sarah and Silvie are building a false floor |
Problems And Follow upRecords of project maintenance dialog with the City  |
What is cob:Cob is a building material made by mixing clay, sand, and straw by foot, and forming it by hand into walls. Support:Composting Toilet Project Funding, Vetting, and Support |
Quick Cob Figures - Benefits of Cob
A real-life example: Natural Building Colloquium '08 finished project
Here (see the picture at right) is some inspiration from California, a bio-toilet project done through the Natural Building Network.
Hopefully, conversations in the Dufferin Grove Park playground this spring will lead to finding a solution, for installing the long-awaited playground toilet.