Sterile Urine ... Liquid Gold?

[senormechanico]

Urinetrouble as much as I am with people who don't like "pun"ishment.

[ShaktisBoy]

The pump has been working over a year and going strong. It is an industrial grade liquid transfer pump from Harbor freight. Tomorrow i will get together a parts list for anyone interested. We also have a mono hull that has no holding tank but I am retrofitting a new holding tank soon to build the same system on that boat as well do to how much success we have had with the system on the Leopard.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

...

The only thing to be careful, for the people with homemade heads, is when you have a permanent holding tank, the Coast Guard may require a CG certified marine head. Right now, as I understand it, homemade heads must have portable holding tanks. Permeant holding tanks must have certified marine heads. They (CG)may not enforce this, it was just a word of caution from CHead who was nice enough to give me advice about building our custom desiccating head.

The CG does not certify heads:

Toilets & urinals.
The U.S. Coast Guard does not certify or approve urinals or toilets for vessels. Such devices are subject to the provisions of any applicable marine engineering and electrical requirements for the particular class of vessel.

They certify MSDs - which are the part of the system that either treats (Type I or Type II) or stores (Type III) the waste. Type IIIs installed before 1975 do not require certification. After that date your holding tank requires certification, but not the toilet/urinal/whathaveyou. Composting toilets are specifically considered Type III MSDs (because they combine the evacuation function with the storage function) and as such must be "portable" to avoid the CG certification requirement. One of the tests is whether the system is connected to the boat's water or electrical systems. If it's not then it is much easier to argue that it is portable.

USCG Systems Engineering Division (CG-ENG-3)

[ElGatoGordo]

Good thread

[bobconnie]

I still prefer to deposit my urine directly overboard with the old fashion plumbing !! Simple and easy ! even if ya must wait till dark !! LOL

[Tellie]

I know what the law states. But I dump urine overboard without a pang of guilt. Every weekend the east coast beaches from St. Augustine to Key West see tens of thousands of beach goers. Wanna bet where the vast majority of them pee?

Come to the Sunshine state and relax in our warm waters.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

The CG does not certify heads:
... Composting toilets are specifically considered Type III MSDs (because they combine the evacuation function with the storage function) and as such must be "portable" to avoid the CG certification requirement. One of the tests is whether the system is connected to the boat's water or electrical systems. If it's not then it is much easier to argue that it is portable.

USCG Systems Engineering Division (CG-ENG-3)

Now that's interesting. Thanks. I think composters will have to deal with this eventually. Isn't it just perfectly governmental that they'd frown on Shakti's solution but be ok with a 5 gal jug full o' pee? Wonder if they'd believe the liquid in a yellow diesel jug was urine? Or even nod knowingly.

Tellie, I hear you but ... And thanks for posting. You were one of the folks I was hoping would weigh in cuz you're there on the front line.

Steve and Sweet Dreams, bet you thought ya'd never get another chance to dust off those old jokes!

Per the poll, it does look like some of us are toeing the legality line. I will when I have to. I'm guessing the more lubberly your boat's appearance, the more you're likely to be boarded and checked.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Women due to our plumbing tend to get urinary tract infections (UTI's), which is what that study had determined. IE that sometimes the urine is not sterile. I expect if someone had a STD that urine might pass that too, Though as its not a bladder infection the colony counts might be small.

Other then that, sterile is sterile.

Boy the things we chat about...

So if I'm understanding this correctly....

You're saying that women are more complicated than men....

[Ocean Girl]

Thanks, desanduril for clarifying my post.

[Mike OReilly]

I voted for dump, but I actually do both. When I'm in a anchorage I dump. If I'm sitting in a packed marina, especially one with little flow, I truck the jug to the toilet. Heck, when in a marina I use the land facilities.

[Ocean Girl]

As far as pee polluting the water from medications excreted by the body, there seems to be some validity to this. Sewage treatment plants do not filter or test for pharmaceuticals, it goes right back into the environment wether you use a pump out facility or straight discharge overboard. But flushing pills down the drain( by individuals, hospitals, elder care facilities), pharmaceutical factories waste discharge, and agriculture are the big culprits.

Drugs in the water - Harvard Health Publications

[Ukeluthier]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

15 to 20 ft?
Flegilhorst where I was stationed in in Germany was a Luftwaffe base in WWII. In the spring all around the base there were these dark green circles about 20 or so ft. across that would appear in the grass fields, there were many of them. Came from Allied bombing, apparently explosives are very rich in nitrates, which make the grass really green even 50 yrs later.
Didn't know they were Faerie rings

Those aren't "Fairie rings" in the traditional sense. Fairie rings are rings of mushrooms caused by a large underground fungal mass sending up its reproductive sprouts at its perimeter.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by ShaktisBoy

The pump has been working over a year and going strong. It is an industrial grade liquid transfer pump from Harbor freight. Tomorrow i will get together a parts list for anyone interested. We also have a mono hull that has no holding tank but I am retrofitting a new holding tank soon to build the same system on that boat as well do to how much success we have had with the system on the Leopard.

Thanks,

I bet I know the pump, cheap enough to keep a couple spares aboard.

I will look forward to your update.

Random sunset picture...

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by ShaktisBoy

The pump has been working over a year and going strong. It is an industrial grade liquid transfer pump from Harbor freight. Tomorrow i will get together a parts list for anyone interested. We also have a mono hull that has no holding tank but I am retrofitting a new holding tank soon to build the same system on that boat as well do to how much success we have had with the system on the Leopard.

Pics would be great as well if you are so inclined.

[ShaktisBoy]

As promised: Here is my list along with links to the two items I had to buy for our system.

12v Marine Utility Water Pump

Plastic Toggle Switches - Double Insulated - SPST



The rest of the stuff I had in my spares.
It consisted of some black and red # 10 wire about 5 feet long each.
2 blade connectors for the back of the switch and 2 loop connectors for the pump to 12 volt bus bar behind the bulkhead. I just wired the pump to the 12 volt source and put the switch in series. I had to cut off the alligator clips that come on the pump and attach the loop connectors I also wired in a 15 amp automotive type fuse between the switch and the 12 volt source. The pictures don't show very well but the little pump is behind the toilet and out of sight. If and when I have to replace the pump I'm going to add a quick disconnect line to the urine jug to make dumping the compost a little easier. As it is now I have to un-hook the urine container from the stool and set it on the head floor but because it is still hooked up to the liquid pump it is kind of in the way. with a disconnect I can put the jug out of the way. Otherwise the system as it stands is almost perfect.

I just read the post about the head system having to be certified. The tank I'm holding in was part of the system that came with the boat. We just ripped out the smelly troublesome bits and now the holding tank only holds urine. I seriously doubt the CG will ever question my setup and as far as discharging goes it works the same as before, i.e. pump-out or dump with a y valve that is under a locked floor panel.