1. We have set up a sawdust toilet arrangement for emergencies, using extra heavy plastic bags in the (drained) toilet bowl and a bucket of sawdust and a box of baking soda at hand, per suggestions in this thread.

2. Some neighbors came to the rescue, kindly giving us the key to their basement where they have a shower and toilet.

The information from this thread so far has been immediately helpful, but it has also provoked some more serious planning for a "what if" scenario that involves no municipal waste disposal for several weeks. I had thought about it, of course, but until you experience it...

The current situation also reinforces my belief that no one is an island, and that mutual aid is one of the greatest assets one can have in a long-term emergency situation.

Thanks, everyone!

Frank2135

And if you happen to have a fireplace, toss some fireash into each bag, for some reason it reduced odor...

"...If I were building a hose - or at least replumbing it - I'd put valves in that would allow me to run a mix of warm & cold water out through the hose. That way I could fashion an outdoor shower of some kind - plus it would provide warm water for washing dogs..."

That is why I always have a "utility" sink in the garage. With the right faucet set you can hook a regular garden hose on, and run hot/warm/cold water wherever you want...

"...a terminal illness in the family..."

First off, let me say that I feel for you, having been thru that five times in the past.

I see that your neighbors have kicked in, so I will not offer that suggestion.

Just a thought, for your particular case, and not necessarily one for a major earthquake/whatever: do you happen to have a clean out in your sewer line, between the collapse area and the main? If so, you could conceivably use that to dump your waste into the sewer system, instead of using it to help the lawn grow...

The best way to combat the cold hose water is to keep a couple of cheap extra hoses on hand. Even the cheap 50' vinyl hoses are good enough and with summer starting to wind down, they can be bought for about $5.00 per hose.

On warm days, connect all the hoses together and ensure that you have a garden hose nozzle or garden wand attached and turned off. Turn the water tap on then lay the hoses streched out on the ground (concrete or asphalt is best) and wait 1/2 an hour or so. The warmth of the sun and ground will heat the water in the hose.

Keep the water tap on very low (just enough to create some pressure). As long as you are not heavy fingered on the hose nozzle, there will now be enough warm water to have a decent shower without getting jolted with cold water.

This is also a good way to have warm water for dishwashing etc.

SD.

Ha! There's one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" ideas.

Wood ash combines with water to create lye. And as I learned this summer staying in a campsite with 30 other people, they use lye to kill the stench in pit toilets. Adding wood ash is a great idea.

Ugh, my condolences on the sewer system, when something like that happens you quickly learn far more then you ever wanted to about how your sewer works. A couple of years ago, our septic system conked out. That was a fascinating week spent with my dad digging up pipes that had collapsed and replacing them. Then getting sprayed down with the garden hose since the showers couldn't be used until we finished the work.

That makes sense. I was thinking it might have something to do with the carbon content of the ashes, since carbon is also an odor neutralizer. But I think you've got it.

I learned that trick at a Boy Scout camp equipped with a single one holer...

Hey, Frank… if it’s any consolation, it could have been worse. The sewer pipe could have exploded. Hell, that makes you realize that the steam pipe in New York City could have been worse, too.