Bucket list

The document outlines various dry sanitation options for residents of Cape Town facing severe water scarcity, specifically in preparation for 'Day Zero'. It explains the risks of using sea water in sewer systems, the health differences between urine and faeces, and provides detailed guidance on implementing dry compost toilets, pit latrines, commercial systems, and chemical toilets.

• Flushing toilets with sea water in the metropolitan area is prohibited because the resulting salinity can kill the microbes in waste water treatment plants and septic tanks, rendering them inoperable. An exception exists for suburbs on the Atlantic seaboard—Green Point, Sea Point, Camps Bay, and Hout Bay—which discharge sewage via pipeline, though sea water may still damage that infrastructure.
• The City of Cape Town intends to keep sewer systems functional after Day Zero by flushing them at specific points, although the document warns that treatment plants or pipes could still fail under extreme conditions.
• Dry compost toilets are presented as a simple solution, consisting of a bucket in a box with a seat and organic cover material like sawdust or decomposed compost. For optimal function, urine should be diverted from faeces to prevent the mixture from becoming too wet, which hampers decomposition.
• Alternative sanitation options include pit latrines, which are discouraged in urban areas due to risks of groundwater contamination and worms; commercial composting toilets, some of which are used at CapeNature rest camps and Signal Hill in Cape Town; and chemical toilets, which require regular servicing.

APA

Verster, B., Buckley, C., Martin, D., Holden, R., & Botha, M. (n.d.). Bucket list. WWF South Africa. https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24141/wednesday-water-file-04

Chicago

Verster, Bernelle, Chris Buckley, Dave Martin, Richard Holden, and Mark Botha. Bucket list. WWF South Africa, n.d. https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24141/wednesday-water-file-04.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Verster |first1=Bernelle |last2=Buckley |first2=Chris |last3=Martin |first3=Dave |last4=Holden |first4=Richard |last5=Botha |first5=Mark |title=Bucket list |publisher=WWF South Africa |url=https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24141/wednesday-water-file-04 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{versterndbucket, author = {Verster, Bernelle and Buckley, Chris and Martin, Dave and Holden, Richard and Botha, Mark}, title = {{Bucket list}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://www.wwf.org.za:443/bucket_list/?24141/wednesday-water-file-04}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }