Post on 12-Apr-2017
Presented by Tom Hopkins thopkins@doc.govt.nz
John Cocks john.h.cocks@mwhglobal.com
Exit Strategies: Managing Human Waste in the Wild AAC 2010• NZ practice: fly-out waste• Practices in US/Canada Carry-out Mouldering & composting toilets BEES – research & development
Sustainable Summits AAC 2014• France, Canada, USVermicomposting
2010 2016Population 4 million 4.7 millionInternational Visitors 2 million 3.3 millionProtected lands(1/3 NZ’s land area)
8 million ha 8.6 million ha
Backcountry huts 959 965Club huts 81 81Camp sites (total) 313 329Camp sites backcountry
106 106
• Fly-out: wide use Fly out vaults Pump out vaults
• Carry-out: limited use Mt Ruapehu (NZAC Hut) Aoraki Mt Cook
• Pit toilets: wide use• Fly-out: wide use• Septic tanks to LAS: 10 +irrigation: wide use 20 +irrigation: limited
• Guidelines for Human Waste and SullageManagement at Backcountry Huts: Standard Operating Procedure – 2004
• Compliance Document for New Zealand Building Code for Backcountry Huts 2009
• Predominant system - fly out vault or pump out vault
• Costly - Pressure on operational maintenance budgets
• Aircraft noise and emissions• Ice/snow up of containers• User related issues Overflowing containers Rubbish in containers
• Systems very much traditional – low risk keep it simple approach
• Little or no ‘research & development’
• Limited public acceptance/facilitation of poo pot carry-out method
• Vermicomposting toilet installation of vermicomposting toilet at Manson
Nicholls Hut potentially positive outcome issues with introducing exotic invertebrates to
conservation estate
Public health Social Financial
• Increasing visitor numbers and patterns
• Emerging contaminants (cleaning products,
cosmetics, consumer ‘necessities’)
• New regulations / regulator scrutiny• NZ Policy Statement on Freshwater Management
• Limit Setting Process &potential numerical limits• Implications for backcountry waste management:
Option High use site
Low use site Issues
Fly-out vault toilet x x noise, carbon, winter
Carry to dump station ? x noise, carbon, behaviour
Carry-out x x behaviourVermi-compost x Behaviour, carbon,
noise, winterIncineration x x noise, carbon
Solar dry / evaporation x x Climate, winter