A community swimming pool called the Richmond Plunge has just opened in Richmond, California, and it may be the most efficient swimming pool in the country. The Richmond Plunge has many efficient features: it’s heated by solar collectors, it’s entirely chlorine-free, and the building is powered by solar panels on the roof. The Plunge is a historic pool — it was first opened in 1926. Now, after ten years of renovation it has been reopened.

It’s a huge pool — it holds 324,000 gallons of water and measures 60 feet by 160 feet. The water is heated by being circulated through eighty Heliodyne Gobi solar collectors on the roof.

The pool also contains no chlorine. Instead, a saline solution is used, coupled with an ultraviolet disinfectant system. This means children and other swimmers can swim without goggles, and they will avoid the other health hazards of chlorine (which we detail in this recent article). The use of natural ventilation and the reduction of chloramines in the water will make swimming in the Plunge a healthy experience.

The pool also has an array of solar electric panels that produce 30 kilowatts for the building. This large, solar hot water heating system was installed by Sun Light & Power, a San Francisco/Bay Area solar installation company.

Link: Richmond Plunge

Overview

A meta-efficient design for a bathroom.

Water

Water in the bathroom: use filtered rain water, otherwise filter water very thoroughly (i.e. remove: chlorine, heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, radon, and other contaminants).

Channel greywater into a garden.

Air Purification

Purify the air using indoor plants.

Heating

Use radiant heat through the floor. Heat via direct sunlight. Otherwise: from direct, renewable source (i.e. wood or sunlight).

Water Heating

Heat water using a point-of-use instant water heater thus reducing water wait time and external tanks. Heat using a renewable source.

Sinks

Use low-flow aerators, use foot-pedals to control faucets for increased hygiene, water reduction, accessibility (children, elderly). See previous post for more information.

Shower

Contain shower heat by sealing entire shower (thus reducing the need to heat water).  Use an ultra-low-flow, aerated showerhead. If the water is not filtered, remove chlorine using vitamin C. Heat water at point-of use, reclaim heat after use. Use non-slip surface reducing injuries (i.e. textured tile). Incorporate handles for accessibility. Make faucets reachable by children. Overall use open shower design.

Towels

Choose optimal towels.

Soap

Choose optimal soap but incorporate dispensers to converse.

Baths

See shower principles. For a tub, recommend an ofuro is recommended, specifically one made of Alaskan yellow or Port Orford white cedar: aromatic, repels bacteria. Or ceramic. Dead sea salt most optimal for bath.

Toilet

A toilet that combines squatting, cleaning with water (bidet function), urine separation, feces composting (sewer-free). Use sewage to produce biogas (fuel). See my article: The Three Fundamental Flaws Of The Modern Western Toilet.

Light

Natural where possible (suntubes, skylights, opaque glass windows) otherwise use meta-efficient lights. Use LED task lights (motion-sensing), and ambient lights (LED bulb preferred –see 75 watt LED equivalents). Also, use low-wattage LED motion-sensing lights for night-time trips (so as to not wake others).

Psychology

Design for comfort and sufficient privacy.

Building Materials

Non-toxic, natural, waterproof, mildew-proof. Tile, naturally-treated wood, glass, stone.

Floor Coverings

If needed should be removable, washable.

Cleaning

Smooth, uncluttered surfaces to optimal cleaning.

Optimal cleaning products: non-toxic, organic. Scents: essential oils.

My unwinking, analytical gaze of efficiency now turns to the toilet. Unfortunately, the design of the modern Western toilet is highly inefficient, in fact, it is so inefficient that it is actually harming our health. The modern toilet has only been around for about 150 years — the “porcelain throne” was created to “give dignity” to the water closet, rather than considering human physiology.

There are three fundamental problems with the Western toilet:

1. It’s designed to be used in the sitting position, and this is an ineffectual position for evacuating the bowels
2. The use of toilet paper is an ineffectual way to clean one’s posterior
3. Defecating in fresh water, and flushing the feces away for treatment doesn’t make sense

Let’s examine these fundamental problems:

Squat Toilets

Squatting is the natural position for elimination — it makes the process easier and more complete. Two thirds of the human race squat to answer the call of nature.

According to Jonathan Isbit, author of Nature Knows Best: The Health Benefits of the Natural Squatting Position, squatting prevents “fecal stagnation” which is a prime factor in colon cancer, appendicitis and inflammatory bowel disease (more details here). Virtually every physician and physiologist who has ever troubled to write on the subject agrees that the squatting position is the optimal position for elimination (for a survey of the research see The Bathroom by Alexander Kira). For example, F. A. Hornibrook, author of the Culture of the Abdomen, says that unfortunately “constipation has become a contentment in Western countries”.

Squat toilets are also easier to clean, because they are simpler and there’s not as many surfaces to clean.

A Squat Toilet In A Japanese Home

Blue Earth Ceramics is the only manufacturer of squat toilets in the U.S.

Jonathan Isbit sells a device called Nature’s Platform that allows you to squat on a conventional toilet. His description is as follows: “It has a five-degree slope so that you don’t have to balance on the balls of your feet. It folds up in 3 seconds so other family members are not inconvenienced. It is lightweight, but still strong and stable enough to hold a 300-pound man or woman.”

Nature's Platform: Retrofit Your Toilet For Squatting

Bidets

Toilet paper an ineffectual way of cleaning one’s posterior. Not to get too graphic — but it just smears more than cleans. Using water for cleaning is much more effective, and it has a therapeutic effect on damaged skin (it’s gentle on rashes or hemorrhoids).

The use of toilet paper also requires enormous resources. We use 36.5 billions rolls of toilet paper in the U.S. each year, this represents at least 15 million trees pulped. This also involves 473,587,500,000 gallons of water to produce the paper and 253,000 tons of chlorine for bleaching purposes. The manufacturing process requires about 17.3 terawatts of electricity annually. Also, there is the energy and materials involved in packaging and transporting the toilet paper to households across the country.

Toilet paper also constitutes a significant load on the city sewer systems, and water treatment plants. It is also often responsible for clogged pipes. In septic systems, the elimination of toilet paper would mean the septic tank would need to be emptied much less often.

Basically, the huge industry of producing toilet paper could be eliminated through the use of bidets. Instead of using toilet paper, a bidet cleans your posterior using a jet of water. Some bidets also provide an air-drying mechanism.

In Japan, high-tech bidets called Washlets are now the most popular electronic equipment being sold–60% of households have them installed. In Venezuela they are found in approximately 90% of households.

Inexpensive bidets are available–you can find a $65 bidet seat that attaches to your toilet. This model uses no electricity or hot water. After using a bidet, most people find cold water is fine, and not particularly shocking to one’s rear. Occasionally, a few sheets of paper are needed to dry oneself. Many people say that even a bidet is unnecessary, the say a garden type pump sprayer works best. Indeed, this method of washing is common in Asia. You can also find simple travel bidets for under $20.

This book is a good source of information on bidets: Everything There Is To Know, From The First and Only Book On The Bidet. The book discusses the different models of bidets, the health aspects and ecological benefits.

Waterless Composting Toilets

Waterless Composting Toilet: Envirolet

The sewer systems we use today are entirely ineffectual and unnecessary. The primary flaw in our design is that we use fresh water to dispose of feces. This is perhaps the most ineffectual thing to do with human manure — it pollutes fresh water, and it requires municipalities to maintain extremely costly sewage treatment infrastructures. Even after treatment, sewage can still wreck havoc on rivers and groundwater. The most effective and straightforward thing to do with sewage is to compost it (or use it to produce fuel via biogas). It’s a valuable resource.

Holding Tank Of Composting Toilet

I’ve written about the benefits of composting toilets and buildings that are completely sewer-free. See also the Composting Toilet Systems Book and Humanure Handbook for more information.

Other good books on this topic:

Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine To Grow Plants

Reusing The Resource: Adventures in Ecological Wastewater Recycling

A company called Aquapal imports these authentic tubs from Shigaraki region of Japan. The tubs are hand-made ceramic sculptures. The clay and titanium oxide composition are naturally antibacterial. There are no prices posted on the Aquapal web site, the company says can call for custom pricing.

There is a veritable multitude of companies making spas today. They are usually manufactured in acrylic for a deck or a specially constructed area inside the house. Often spas are sold a lot like cars — there is lot of upselling and steering buyers towards a particular brand. The Pool and Spa Living Magazine has the most information online about spa selection, including a buyer’s guide. There are two models that seem to be favorably reviewed quite often: the Marquis Coastal Series Reward (priced around $6000) and the mid-range Emerald 599 (priced around $3900). See this report by Consumer Search for more information.

See also this Spa Buyers Q & A from the Spa Specialist, which has answers to frequently asked questions about buying a spa.

Wooden hot tubs are an attractive alternative to the plastic tubs that have come to dominate the marketplace today. These traditionally styled tubs are built with wood that contains natural anti-bacterial oils. SeaOtter Woodworks build their tubs by hand with Western Red Cedar. They are one of the few companies in the U.S. making wooden hot tubs. They support sound forest management practices — much of the cedar is salvaged windfall and sustainably harvested by small family mills in the towns of Southeast Alaska.

The tubs can be heated by electricity, propane or wood heat. The wood heater is a “Chofu Fired Wood Heater” which is popular in Japan. This heater uses no electricity, has no pump and drives no jets. It heats water quietly by natural convection or “thermosiphon”. The heater is constructed with a stainless steel water jacket surrounding an airtight firebox.

Prices range from: $1800-$4400, quite is quite reasonable for a hot tub in today’s market. Almost Heaven and Snorkle make similar tubs. See also Robert’s Hot Tubs.

Home Page: SeaOtter Woodworks

Japanese soaking baths are built small but deep.

These compact “ofuro” will fit in just about anywhere — even the smallest apartment.

Diamond Spa makes the baths pictured here. We’ve no idea on the price, but the concept is good. If anyone knows where to get this style of tub at a reasonable price please let us know.