THE

HUMANUREHANDBOOK

THIRD EDITION

A GUIDE TO COMPOSTING HUMAN MANUREby Joseph Jenkins

ISBN-13: 978-0-9644258-3-5ISBN-10: 0-9644258-3-1Library of Congress Control Number: 2005902104Copyright 2005 by Joseph C. Jenkins All Rights ReservedPortions of this book may be copied and distributed with-out permission as long as a) the information is notchanged, b) the publishing source is credited and c) thedistribution is not for profit.Published by Joseph Jenkins, Inc.143 Forest Lane, Grove City, PA 16127 USAPhone: 814-786-9085 • Web site at josephjenkins.com

Please address all retail and wholesale book orders to our distributor:

Chelsea Green Publishing,PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001Toll free: 800-639-4099 or 802-295-6300

Printed with soy ink on recycled paper processed without chlorine.

HUMANUREHANDBOOK.COM

This is the third edition of a self-published book. No respectable publish-er would touch it with a ten foot shovel. Nevertheless, the book has nowbeen sold in at least 57 countries worldwide and has been published inforeign editions on four continents. It has been talked about on NPR,BBC, CBC, Howard Stern, in The Wall Street Journal, Playboy Magazineand many other national and international venues. For more informationabout this and the author’s other books, visit the publisher’s website at:

josephjenkins.com.

Cover art and most of the cartoon artwork is by Tom Griffin (ottercreek-store.com). Photos are by the author unless otherwise indicated.

The Humanure Handbook - Third Edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 - CRAP HAPPENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 - WASTE NOT WANT NOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 - MICROHUSBANDRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 - DEEP SHIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .695 - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A TURD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .836 - COMPOSTING TOILETS AND SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . .1037 - WORMS AND DISEASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1218 - THE TAO OF COMPOST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1559 - GRAYWATER SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20310 - THE END IS NEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225TEMPERATURE CONVERSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249