# Does land disposal of the decomposed solid waste comply with EPA and Public Health Service regulations?

**URL:** <https://waterlesswaste.discourse.group/t/does-land-disposal-of-the-decomposed-solid-waste-comply-with-epa-and-public-health-service-regulations/19>\
**Category:** Compliance & Implementation\
**Created:** [May 22, 2026, 2:22am UTC](https://waterlesswaste.discourse.group/t/does-land-disposal-of-the-decomposed-solid-waste-comply-with-epa-and-public-health-service-regulations/19 "2026-05-22T02:22:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Natalie\_ForumAdmin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex039/user_avatar/waterlesswaste.discourse.group/natalie_forumadmin/32/16_2.png) [@Natalie\_ForumAdmin](https://waterlesswaste.discourse.group/u/Natalie_ForumAdmin)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 2:22am UTC](https://waterlesswaste.discourse.group/t/does-land-disposal-of-the-decomposed-solid-waste-comply-with-epa-and-public-health-service-regulations/19/1 "2026-05-22T02:22:15Z")

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We received this question during a recent webinar and thought it would be helpful to discuss here.

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**Author:** ![Geoff\_Hill](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex039/user_avatar/waterlesswaste.discourse.group/geoff_hill/32/14_2.png) [@Geoff\_Hill](https://waterlesswaste.discourse.group/u/Geoff_Hill)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://waterlesswaste.discourse.group/t/does-land-disposal-of-the-decomposed-solid-waste-comply-with-epa-and-public-health-service-regulations/19/2 "2026-07-04T19:05:20Z")

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No. Decomposed human waste in a Toilet Tech urine diverting decompose system does not meet EPA Title 40 Part 503 Regulations for multiple reasons. Composting toilet systems also do not meet these requirements unless they are recording temperature, documenting end product, and can somehow explain around the short circuiting that happens with fresh urine passes through fresh feces and leaches in product at the bottom of the composting vault, which may occur hours or days prior to final “waste” removal. Moreover, human waste at remote sites has much garbage in it and its entirely unreasonable to have park staff pick this out. The dispersal of decomposed or composting toilet residual into public or private land is not allowed and is also unsafe due to pathogen transmission risks. One might argue that it can be buried, but then it becomes similar to pit toilet waste buried in the ground. Toilet Tech’s position on solid human waste is that it should be decomposed with least possible human interaction, reduced to its absolute smallest amount of mass volume and pathogen load, then removed (like a Leave No Trace program encourages) and disposed of in a proper regulated waste treatment facility like a landfill or waste water treatment plant.

Here are a few links to publications on this topic for further reading.

[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255733863\_Hygienic\_quality\_of\_faeces\_treated\_in\_urine\_diverting\_vermicomposting\_toilets](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255733863_Hygienic_quality_of_faeces_treated_in_urine_diverting_vermicomposting_toilets)

> **[Hill-Baldwin-Vinneras-Solvita-Compost-Toilet-PUB-2013.pdf](https://accesopanam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hill-Baldwin-Vinneras-Solvita-Compost-Toilet-PUB-2013.pdf)**
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> **[Hill-and-Baldwin-2012-Vermicomposting-toilets.pdf](https://www.thermopileproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Hill-and-Baldwin-2012-Vermicomposting-toilets.pdf)**
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