Back Yard Dog Poo Compost Septic Tank

Intro: Back Yard Dog Poo Compost Septic Tank

A great way to deal with dog poop if you have multiple dog's, or are simply running out of space in your back yard to put it all.

STEP 1: Find a Bin

Find a good plastic bin. I used an extra green compost bin I had laying around. you could use a garbage can, or what ever you got that has a good solid lid.

STEP 2:

Cut the bottom out of your bin. I used a jig saw. you can use anything you think will work. shears would cut a regular garbage can easy. I had to use a saw because my bin was heavy duty hard plastic.

STEP 3: Drill Holes

Drill holes with the biggest drill bit you can find that will fit your drill. drill about a quarter to half of the way up the bin from the bottom.

STEP 4: Dig a Hole

Dig a hole wide enough for your bin size and deep enough to be able to sink the bin about three quarters of the way into the ground. now fill in around the outside of the bin snuggly with dirt.

STEP 5: Finished

There you have it. dump all your dog poop into the bin and keep the lid shut. I got a hold of some active house sized septic tank enzyme and added it to mine. A very small amount. I put a table spoons worth in mine to help speed up the breakdown of the dog poop.
Every so often get a bucket full of nice warm water and poor it into your dog poop tank. It will help keep things going.
You want the decomposed poop to slowly leach into the soil around the bottom of the tank. That is why you cut out the bottom of your bin and drill holes 1/4 to 1/2 of the way up your bin from the bottom. acts as mini weepers.

If you want to take things further another step, you could dig even deeper and fill the bottom with gravel and sand. maybe 2' or 3' worth to aid in drainage. Mine works fine without that step.

Depending on how many dogs you have, decides on how big of a tank bin you need. I have 2 dogs. so mine isn't that large. if you have more then 5 dogs, you are gonna wanna get a very large bin.

thank you.

Comments

[skottomatic27]

Wrong . Step one should be to do a perc test - soil percolation – or perk – test is to evaluate the ability of the soil to drain, which is vital information as far as the drain field is concerned. If the soil is sandy and drains too quickly, it won't filter waste from the water, and the groundwater could be contaminated. If, on the other hand, the soil has a high clay content and drains too slowly, raw sewage water will remain near the surface and could form pools. No one wants that.

[woeisme25]

Have any users gotten complaints from neighbors… smell, etc. Thank you.

[MeliL]

Wonderfull tip ! very inventive and practical thank you so much !!!!!

[darren.m.dyer]

I would check your bylaws first. It's a good idea but you could do what I do and just collect the dog poo, put it in that same compostable bag lined bin then put that to the curb for recycling. The bylaw here says that its hazardous waste and needs to be cleaned. This would be frowned upon and if found then charged.

[MargaretK34]

Is there a certain temperature that this barrel must reach before you can use the composted material? Or is this just a receptacle? I have two other questions, one is about city wide ordinances against black water composting, and the other is if anyone has used or if it is OK to add red wriggler worms to this compost to speed up the composting process. Thanks!

[Ferg70]

I really like this idea but I have one question: as my yard isn't fenced (and I have an "adventurous" doggo) I tend to take him for walks which means most of his poop is bagged. Does anyone know if bio-degradable bags would break down properly in this system? Thanks for any help/answers you could give me.

[pi_homesteader]

If it actually "cooks" like others are mentioning then I bet it would. I use biodegradable bags and we put them in a "nasty stuff compost bin". I just turned it for the first time last week after a few months and a lot of the bags were showing signs of decay already. It would probably not break down as quickly as the poop. But others mention that when the bin is full you just pull it out (there's no bottom) and cover the hole, which would create more contact with soil and help it break down faster.

[steadfast1984]

the smell is less then a regular corner poop pile. you may get a good wiff when you open the lid to add more, but other then that, not bad at all. once the bin starts cooking well, it's not bad at all.

[gilbequick]

Does this smell at all when the lid is closed?

[gareth.collier.1985]

How long would this last before full?
I'm interned in the idea

[blooming_fern]

We have a similar device in our backyard for several years already, so I'd estimate a bin this large for a medium/large dog like ours (lab mixie) would last for about a year, a year and a half, depending on food (dry food leads to way more poop than homemade). Also, from my experience, you'd want a totally open unobstructed bottom to dig the bin out of the ground easier when you need to, so the contents stay in the ground and you just pull the bin. Anyway, having such thing in your backyard is a great idea!

[parisusa]

This is a great idea for dog owners! My grandfather used lime in the outhouse in the 1940s (I've been told). Similar idea. I have a bunny so my garden benefits.

[DIY Hacks and How Tos]

Clever idea. You can use the nutrients without have to directly deal with the unpleasant small.