Certain features, while not essential to sanitation and satisfactory service, add to personal convenience. A paved walkway, well protected from cold winds and rain, is desirable. A neat, whitewashed lattice, as shown in [figure 13], an arbor covered with vines, or a hedge screen adds to privacy.
The earth-pit privy is the simplest to build and the one most widely used. It is not generally recommended in localities where underground rock has crevices.
For a sanitary type of privy with reinforced concrete[9] floor, riser, and supporting sills see [figure 14]. Because privy units are commonly used as urinals, the use of impervious materials for risers and floors facilitates cleanliness. In the colder climates, wood treated with a preservative is durable and reduces the problem of moisture condensation. Therefore, wood could be used if approved by the State department of health.
[9] For information on making concrete see Farmers' Bulletin 1772, Use of Concrete on the Farm.
When it is considered impracticable to build the slab and riser of concrete, these parts may be of wood, as shown in [figure 16]. The building itself may be as shown in either illustration. A wood structure is easy to move to a new location.
A pit with a minimum capacity of 50 cubic feet[10] will usually serve five people over a period of 5 to 10 years. The privy should be moved when the pit is filled to within 18 or 20 inches of the top and a strong disinfectant spread in the old pit before covering it with earth.
[10] Recommended by the Committee on Promotion of Rural Sanitation, Public Health Engineering Section of the American Public Health Association, 1932.
