Two people preparing for a disaster. A person indoors placing a water container on the bench next to an emergency toilet which is a bucket with a toilet lid placed on top. A person outdoors who has dug a hole holding a bucket and shovel. There are two oth

Emergency Toilets

After a large earthquake, don't flush! 

Even if the water is still running, it's likely the wastewater pipes will be broken. When you flush the toilet, your poo and wee may end up in your garden (or your neighbour’s garden)! 

Find out how to make an emergency toilet in our infographic below.

No running water means no flushing toilets

The wastewater network (which takes away the water we pour down the sink, and our poo and wee) is even more vulnerable than the drinking water network - its broken pipes would take longer to find and fix, and there would be more of them. 

If the water stops coming out of your tap, then it will also stop filling up your toilet cistern. You may not be able to use your normal toilet for some time after a major earthquake, so you will need to think about what you can use for an emergency toilet. 

How to build an emergency toilet:

Option 1. Build a long drop

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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.  

Option 2. Make an emergency bucket toilet

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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. 

Accessible Options for those with accessibility needs or limited mobility

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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. 

 

Apartments

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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.

Making a toilet seat

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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. 

Safe handling tips for using an emergency toilet

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  • 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. 

Helping children use an emergency toilet

  • Keep the gap between the toilet seat and the bucket as small as possible, to reduce accidents. 
  • Ensure your usual toilet is sealed shut so it can’t be used. 
  • For young children use symbols or paintings to help them learn which bucket is for poo and which bucket is for pee. 

Period products, nappies, and wet wipes

Most tampons, applicators, pads, nappies and wet wipes aren't biodegradable (or won't break down for many years).

Don't put any of these products in your long drop or bucket toilets! Please pop these in the rubbish. 

Wastewater isn't just about toilets

You'll also need to think about how you would dispose of water used for cooking and hygiene. 

Water from cooking can be tipped into gardens, but keep the water used for washing clothes or yourself away from vegetable gardens. 

bucket pic with bag

Bucket Toilet Labels

Download these labels to print and tape to your wee and poo bucket. 

Emergency Toilet Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to manage my waste after an earthquake?

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A major earthquake in the Wellington region is likely to cause significant damage to the pipes that take away your poos and wees. It's important that people do not flush or use their normal toilet.

Damage to roads will also limit access around the region which will disrupt refuse collection services.

Members of the community will need to be self-sufficient for at least 30 days, but some parts of the region could be more, following an event and adapt their sanitation practices in the months following until wastewater networks are repaired.

After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake highlighted the lengthy restoration times of sewerage systems. A situation that is likely to be exacerbated in Wellington by the significant access difficulties expected after a significant earthquake

How can I manage by own waste after an earthquake?

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There are two main options for managing your wee and poo at home after an earthquake:

  1. Make a long drop
  2. Make a two-bucket emergency toilet
  3. (Only for those with mobility impairments): Place a sturdy plastic bag inside the toilet bowl.

Why was the long drop and two bucket options taken?

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The long drop and two bucket options were taken as the preferred emergency sanitation options because they were considered the most viable/technically feasible options for the Wellington region by most of the stakeholders involved in the waste-water system. 

How deep do I need to dig a hole for a long drop toilet?

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For a long drop, the Ministry of Health recommends the hole needs to be 1 metre deep, 30-40cm wide.
For a hole in your back garden to store your poos, it needs to be 50cm deep. 

Where should I dig the hole?

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Away from vegetable gardens and neighbours boundaries. Avoid waterways like rivers, streams and ground water.

How do I make a two-bucket emergency toilet?

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You will need two buckets: one bucket for wee and one for poo.


Bucket 1 - Wee:

  • Add 2-3cm of water to bucket before use
  • Don’t put toilet paper in this bucket
  • Empty daily into an area of your garden or other green space (dilute with water first)

 

Bucket 2 - Poo:

  • Add layer of mulch to bucket before use
  • After each use, add a handful of mulch to cover your poos and keep dry (to reduce the smell)
  • Empty every 3 days into the hole in your garden (50cm deep) or if you don't have a garden, empty into an outdoor lidded bin.
  • Menstrual cups should be emptied in this bucket.

 

Period products and nappies go in a normal rubbish bin.

 

Why can't I just put a plastic bag in my toilet?

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Plastic bags in toilets should only be used as a last resort for people who cannot use a long drop or two-bucket toilet (for example those with accessibility needs or limited mobility). There are two main reasons around why we don’t want people weeing and pooing into plastic bags (unless they really, really need to).

The first reason is public health and safety. When people are weeing and pooing into plastic bags this requires more close contact handling with their wees and poos and this increases the risk of gastro outbreaks.

The second part is for environmental reasons. When poos and wees are in a plastic bag they can’t be processed in the water treatment plant and will have to be sent to the landfill (much like your dog poo bags). When poos and wees are in a plastic bag they take a very long time to break and this would have a huge environmental impact on our region having everyone weeing and pooing into bags that end up in our landfill.

However, we know that for some people this might be their only practical solution (those with accessibility needs or limited mobility) so we have put it down as an absolute last resort.

It is important that wee in the bag is soaked up with absorbent materials such as sawdust or other super-absorbent material. This option is discouraged for the general population because of anticipated difficulties with sourcing of the bags and drying material, disposal of the resulting waste and potential for spillage and mess. 

Why do I need to seperate my poos and wees?

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Wees and poos combined together can get really smelly. Keeping your poos and wees separate will help keep the smell down and make it safer to handle. By keeping wee and poo separate, you will find that your bucket toilet is easier to empty and more hygienic.

How do I dispose of the wee and poo in my two bucket emergency toilet?

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  1. If you have an outdoor garden area where you can dig a 50cm hole - dispose of your poos in this hole. Keep your poo dry. Do not put your wees in this hole - dilute your wee bucket with water and dispose of in another area of your garden/green space.
  2. If you do not have a garden/green space area where you can dig a 50cm hole -dispose of your poos in your outdoor bin. Keep your poo as dry as possible. Dilute your wee bucket with water and dispose of your wees in an area of your garden/green space.

I have no garden/green space/live in an apartment - how do I dispose of my waste?

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If you have no garden/green space or live in an apartment, you can still use the two bucket system.

Put a sturdy bin liner in your poo bucket and dispose of your poo bag every 3 days in your normal apartment skip bin. For your wees, dilute with water and dispose in a green space outside. 

How often should I empty the buckets?

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  • Empty your wee bucket daily - dilute your wee bucket with water and dispose of in an area of your garden/green space.
  • Empty your poo bucket every 3 days or earlier if it is full. 

Should the buckets be indoors or outdoors?

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You can use your two-bucket toilet inside your home. Make sure to have it away from cooking areas and put a lid over the buckets when not in use. Empty your buckets outside into a hole in the ground or into an outdoor bin like a wheelie bin.

How do I keep my poos dry?

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Use mulch, sawdust, straw, kitty litter or shredded newspaper to keep your poo dry.

How many people should share a bucket? Does our whānau need more than 2 buckets?

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Your whānau can share a bucket, But if you have children, you may need to make your emergency toilet small enough for them to sit on it.

Where can I purchase buckets from?

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You can purchase sturdy buckets from hardware stores.  You can also use other sturdy containers such as small bins etc. 

The buckets are not very comfortable to sit on - how do I make it comfortable?

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  • 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.
  • Wrap something soft around the top of the bucket to make it more comfortable to sit on such as a polystyrene, pool noodle etc.

Why can't we use chemical toilets/portaloos like after the Christchurch earthquake?

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There are a number of challenges associated with use of portaloos/chemical toilets.

Difficulties of collecting and treating the waste from chemical toilets and community portable toilets after a major earthquake make them an unviable solution for the Wellington region. Road access around the region could also be affected for days to months following as well, which would reduce the ability of to deliver these options. Common strong winds in Wellington also make portaloos prone to tipping.

Poor safety conditions, and maintenance are also issues. Concentrated effluent from chemical toilets or portaloos would have to be stored for drip-feeding into treatment plants.

Some of the challenges of chemical toilets/portaloos highlighted from the Christchurch experience were:

  • The supply was unable to meet demand
  • Takes a significant amount of time to source enough toilets to meet needs
  • Some people were required to walk quite a distance to use a port-a-loo
  • Safety issues at night time
  • Public health issues. Not being cleaned regularly for the number of people using them.
  • Labour intensive as they require pumping twice a day
  • Significant odour issues
  • Easily and regularly vandalised
  • Safety issues. Some were tipped over while people were using them
  • Lack of water and hand washing facilities (often not working)
  • Waste needs to be dumped in large communal tank, which users found difficult.
  • Impact on psychological well-being of community with the large number of people using one port-a-loo for extended periods of time.

What are the benefits of the two-bucket toilet versus portaloos and chemical toilets?

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  • Environmentally friendly, no chemicals used 
  • Smaller load factor – reduces the public health risk 
  • Easy to put together 
  • Storage containers do not need to be emptied daily 
  • Can be used in the home 
  • Requires minimal water  

How do I prevent getting sick by handling my own waste?

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  • Keep bucket contents separate from other household waste and cover them with extra mulch, straw, or soil.
  • 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.
  • 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. 

How should I dispose of menstrual products?

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Pads and tampons go into your regular waste bin. Empty menstrual cups into the emergency poo bucket. 

How do I dispose of nappies?

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Nappies go into your regular waste bin.

What if I can't afford to buy a emergency bucket toilet?

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You can also use other sturdy containers that you can find in your home such as small bins or storage containers.

The two bucket emergency toilet is too difficult for me to use - what should I do?

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If you can't use a two bucket toilet/ have mobility impairment, you can place a sturdy plastic bag inside your toilet. The bag needs to be big enough to cover the whole bowl to avoid spillage. Place some dry material in the bag to soak up your wees and poo - It's important that you try to soak up as much liquid as possible in the bag. Tie and dispose of your bag in a rubbish bin. Wash your hands thoroughly. 

What if I have a septic tank?

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If you have a septic tank, and you are confident that it is still operational and that the drainage field is not impacted, you can still use your septic tank. If there is damage to either the tank or the drainage field, contact your septic tank provider. 

Were the emergency toilet options/sanitation plan based on research?

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These options are based on research conducted by Massey University and a series of stakeholder workshops.

Recognising the potential for lengthy outages of wastewater and following experiences in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake response, Massey University and WREMO collaborated on a pilot of a two-bucket emergency toilet. An emergency compost toilet trial was undertaken in October and November 2012 to determine whether compost toilets could be a viable alternative to port-a-loos or chemical toilets in an event that sewerage systems are disrupted. The trial was funded by the National Emergency Management Agency.

Following this, a number of workshops were held with stakeholders involving Massey University, Te Whatu Ora, Wellington Water, WREMO, Ngāti Toa, local councils, and managers and contractors of solid waste.

Have you considered cultural aspects of this plan?

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The emergency sanitation solutions allow end-users to choose their preferred option, allowing for a range of behaviours, cultures and capacities. Māori representatives guided the cultural aspects of the plan. 

Was there consultation on this sanitation plan?

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Consultation was with all key stakeholders managing and responding to an emergency sanitation plan - Massey University, Te Whatu Ora, Wellington Water, WREMO, Ngāti Toa, local councils, and managers and contractors of solid waste.

What are the 'target levels of service'?

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The target levels of service were created to have realistic solutions and restoration goals for all organisations involved in the restoration of the waste water system after a major earthquake. The target levels of service are:

  • First 7 days - self-sufficiency by the community for sanitation needs. Until the wastewater networks are repaired - residents to dispose of wee and poo on their property.
  • From day 8 - if the roads are available and all other systems operational (e.g. fuel supply), options 3 and 4 (as shown in the infographic) will also be viable.

Who was involved in the sanitation plan project?

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Massey University led a collaboration with Wellington Water, Regional Public Health, WREMO and the councils to understand the process of capture, containment, emptying and transport, treatment and disposal or re-use of excreta, if using the two bucket system. This led to the councils, WREMO, Wellington Water and Te Whatu Ora/Regional Public Health to conduct a project including a wider range of stakeholders to plan for emergency sanitation. Stakeholders were from Ngāti Toa, the disability sector and managers and contractors of solid waste. 

Emergency Toilet Information Video

Emergency Toilets Webinar

WREM0 Icon Report v2

Trial of emergency compost toilets

In 2012, a trial of emergency compost toilets was conducted by WREMO. 

Read our report on the trial here: