Recently, I visited a resort-type place for a holiday and was shocked to see that the WC there did not have water. Instead, there was sawdust kept in the closet. Why is this so?

queproblema

It must have been a "green" resort with a composting toilet. "Operators of composting toilets commonly add a small amount of absorbent carbon material (such as untreated sawdust, coconut coir, peat moss) after each use to create air pockets for better aerobic processing, to absorb liquid, and to create an odor barrier." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet Aug 21 09, 4:28 PM

satguru

There is no law that says you need a water closet, they are preferable in many cases especially with easy access to a water main, but elsewhere there are many sanitary options including the sawdust. Earth closets are similar, and of course portable toilets use chemical disinfectants without flushing anything away at all while people with no sewage system empty everything into a cesspit which has to be emptied regularly. Australians will be familiar with long drops, which are basically deep holes in the ground, and traditional French toilets are similar but placed on the floor with foot rests and a drop to wherever they end up. Anything which disposes of or disinfects the waste material will work and some circumstances require whatever's available at the location. The function is most important rather than any particular method, and of course composting doesn't need to treat the material in sewage plants but reuses it as fertiliser. http://aj.hd.org/TFTC/E.html Aug 21 09, 5:11 PM