Emergency Toilets

You will need: 

• Backyard or space on your property to dig a large hole 
• Tools to dig a hole, such as a spade 
• Soil or other fill such as straw, sawdust, or shredded newspaper 

How to make a long drop: 

Dig a hole up to one metre deep and 30 – 40cm wide. Make sure the hole is away from any water source, above the groundwater table and far away from any vegetable gardens. 
 
After each use, cover your poo and wee with soil or other mulch. Keep the hole covered after each time you use it, for hygiene and safety reasons. You can do this by placing a piece of board or heavy-duty cardboard over the hole, this will discourage pests or pets from getting into the toilet. 
 

When your poo and pee get to 30cm below the surface - fill in the hole. Cover the hole with soil and dig yourself a new long–drop! This hole can also be used to hold solid waste from a bucket toilet.  

You will need: 

• Two sturdy 15 – 20-litre buckets with lids 
• Permanent marker pen (to label buckets)
• Dry mulch such as sawdust, dry leaves and soil or shredded newspaper 
• Water – 2 litres of water per person per day 

How to make a bucket toilet: 

Set your two buckets in your normal toilet, bathroom or laundry. With a permanent marker pen write "wee" on bucket 1 and "poo" on bucket 2. It is important that you try to keep your wees separate from your poo as it will help keep the smell down and make it safer. 

Bucket 1 (wee):

• Add 2-3cms of water to the bottom of your clean and empty bucket. Use bucket 1 for wee. This bucket should be for wee only (add toilet paper to bucket 2).
• Once you have finished close the lid and wash your hands!

Disposing your wee:

• At the end of each day, dilute your wee with additional water and pour it into a disused area of your garden or, if you don't have a garden, another green space.  

Bucket 2 (poo):

If you have a garden or green space where you can dig a 50cm hole:

• Create a nest at the bottom of your clean and empty bucket. Use bucket 2 for poos and toilet paper only. You do not need to line the bucket with a bag.
• When you have finished, add a large cup or handful of dry mulch (sawdust, straw, dry leaves, soil, or shredded newspaper) to cover your poo. Then close the lid and wash your hands! 
• Try to keep the poo bucket as dry as possible. Sometimes it's hard to poo without wee coming out, but if you can keep them separate, then this will keep the smell down and make it safer to handle. Use the sawdust, straw, or shredded newspaper to absorb any spills. 

 If you do not have a garden or green space:

• Line your poo bucket with a sturdy bin liner/bag.
• When you have finished, add a large cup or handful of dry mulch (sawdust, straw, dry leaves, soil, or shredded newspaper) to cover your poo. Then close the lid and wash your hands! 
• Try to keep the poo bucket as dry as possible. Sometimes it's hard to poo without wee coming out, but if you can keep them separate, then this will keep the smell down and make it safer to handle. Use the sawdust, straw, or shredded newspaper to absorb any spills. 

Disposing your poo:

Bucket 2 will need to be emptied at least every three days.

• If you have a garden or green space: Empty into a 50cm hole in the ground.
• If you do not have a garden or green space: put your poo bag into a large storage bin, e.g if you have a wheelie bin or other lidded bin.
• If you live in an apartment with a communal rubbish skip bin: put your poo bag in there.

Keep bucket contents separate from other household waste and cover them with extra mulch, straw, or soil. 
 
Why separate poo and wee? 

• Keeping poo and wee separate reduces the smell. It is also safer, as wee contains far fewer germs than poo.
• By keeping wee and poo separate, you will find that your bucket toilet is easier to empty and more hygienic.
• During a disaster, it is very important to minimise the spread of diseases. Human poo contains a lot of dangerous germs and so a hygienic system for your emergency toilet will help your household avoid getting sick. 

This option should only be used for those with accessibility needs or limited mobility.

We understand that for some of our whānau, the long drop or two-bucket emergency toilet is just not feasible. There are a couple of alternate options below for this whānau:

1. Take a chair, make a hole in the base and put it over a long-drop or bucket toilet.

2. Look into the option of a commode. This can sit over a bucket or long-drop, or, if it has a pail, place a sturdy plastic bag or bin liner inside.

3. The last resort option is to place a large, sturdy bin liner/plastic bag inside your toilet bowl. The bag needs to be big enough to cover the whole bowl to avoid spillage. Place some dry material in the bag such as sawdust, straw, dry leaves and soil, or shredded newspaper, to soak up as much wee as possible. Dispose of your bag into an outdoor rubbish bin. Make sure you clean your hands thoroughly. 

How to make an emergency toilet if you live in an apartment:

• Use two buckets as above (one for wee and one for poo)
• Line your poo bucket with a sturdy bin liner/bag.
• In your poo bucket: when you have finished, add a large cup or handful of dry mulch (sawdust, kitty litter, straw, dry leaves, soil, or shredded newspaper) to cover your poo. Then close the lid and wash your hands! 
• Try to keep the poo bucket as dry as possible. Sometimes it's hard to poo without wee coming out, but if you can keep them separate, then this will keep the smell down and make it safer to handle. Use the sawdust, straw, or shredded newspaper to absorb any spills. 
• Your poo bucket will need to be emptied at least every three days.

Disposing your wee and poo:

• Dilute your wee and empty into a green space outside.
• Put your poo bag in your normal apartment skip bin.

It’s easy to make a seat for your emergency toilet:

You can cut a hole in a garden chair and place it over your bucket toilet or long–drop.
Toilet seats can be unscrewed from existing toilets and attached to the chair.

You can also build a frame with a toilet seat to use more comfortably. Any frame should be strong enough to support users, easy to clean (painting or varnishing will help) and easy to open so buckets can be removed and emptied.

Seats and frames can be used over both long-drops and bucket toilets. 

• After using the toilet wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water, or hand sanitiser. Dry your hands thoroughly. 
• If possible, use gloves when emptying buckets, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water, or hand sanitiser. Dry your hands thoroughly. 
• Rinse and clean the poo bucket after emptying. 
• Disinfect with a dilute bleach solution if necessary. 
• Make sure you are emptying and cleaning your buckets regularly. 
• Keep the toilet and waste material well separated from any food preparation areas. 
• If someone does get sick (e.g., vomiting or diarrhoea), try and use another bucket. Take extra care when emptying the bucket and disinfect with a dilute bleach solution. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.