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State-approved vs. Site-built Composting Toilet in Birch House

To design and build his home to meet the Net-Zero Water imperative of the Living Building Challenge, architectural designer Dan Welch installed waterless composting toilets in his family’s home, and recycles their biosolids on-site “for beneficial purposes” in a manner approved by Whatcom County Health Dept. and City of Bellingham under State of Washington rules.  Although he argued those rules prefer a two-stage “batch composter” for improved sanitation, the County health official required him to choose a continuous composter from the State approved list, rather than his own site-built design.