Water
Rainwater Collection
The amount of freshwater available for use on Jourimain Island is very limited. Only a thin layer of freshwater is found in the ground, and immediately below it is saltwater that seeps in from the Northumberland Strait. Take too much fresh water too quickly and it is replaced by saltwater. To reduce our use of groundwater, rainwater is collected from our rooftops and stored in cisterns in the basement. The water can then be used for cleaning and other non-potable uses, saving our precious ground water for drinking.
Composting Toilets
Cape Jourimain's Clivus Multurm composting toilets provide us with another huge reduction in water use over conventional buildings. They require no water for flushing! An occasional rinse of the conduits and wetting of the compost pile is all that's needed. The composting toilets also treat all the waste within the compost pile - eliminating the need for expensive and potentially polluting sewage lagoons and septic fields. Through natural breakdown of the materials in the compost pile, 90% of the volume of material is converted to vapour and gases. The remaining material becomes a stable organic soil called "humus" and a nitrogen rich liquid "tea". The tea is sent to our greywater treatment system for further breakdown and use by native woodland plants.
