‘Eco-toilets’ pilot program underway

Falmouth is providing funding to about 10 homeowners to replace toilets with ecologically friendly models.

Participants in the pilot program, who will receive subsidies from the town of up to $5,000, are obligated to replace each of their conventional toilets with a system that can contribute to composting or diverting urine – a primary source of nitrogen – from the waste stream.

The aim of the program is to gauge the ability of the eco-toilets to reduce nitrogen discharge, a major element in water pollution on the Cape, according to Falmouth Wastewater Superintendent Jerry Potamis. Participants have agreed to make use of the eco-toilets for at least two to three years.

“If this is proven to be successful, it could be a less costly solution than sewers or advanced septic tanks, at least with new construction,” Potamis said.

The overall cost for each home is expected to be above $5,000, so participants will likely have to pay a portion of the costs themselves. The overall cost depends in part on how much plumbing has to be retrofitted, Potamis said.

The $80,000 to support the pilot project is part of $2.7 million that Town Meeting authorized in 2011 for assorted wastewater-related studies and projects.

Participants receive funding to pump out their septic tank at the start of the project, “so we can say that we’re starting with a clean slate,” Potamis said.

Typically, he said, the composting will take place in the basement of the home. Each project must include a ventilation system, which may include a pipe that exits at the top of the house, to limit odors.

Potamis said, “The question seems to be, ‘Is it socially acceptable?’ We’ll wait and see.”