Catholes History, Research,

Current Use and Future Application

The four objectives of proper human waste disposal

1. Minimize the chances of polluting water sources

2. Minimize the spread of disease

3. Minimize the aesthetic impacts associated with human waste

4. Maximize the rate of decomposition

What is a cathole? The use of the “cathole” has long been accepted

as the standard method for human waste disposal in wilderness, backcountry and other outdoor settings

The cathole method consist of digging a 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) hole that is a minimum of 200 feet (60 m) from any water source, campsite or trail

Currently recommended by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and most U.S. land management agencies – BLM, USFS, NPS, FWS

A properly dug cathole

History The cathole method of human waste

disposal dates back to the 1970’s, possibly even earlier

Originally recommended by land managers as use of federally designated wilderness in the U.S. increased after the passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act

The other option was surface disposal

History As visitor use increased to lands managed

under the National Wilderness Preservation System increased, land managers began to realize that human waste was becoming an issue

There had to be some guidance given to recreationists as to how to properly deal with human waste when toilet facilities were non-existent

Cathole Research Currently there is little applied research on

the effectiveness and accompanying problems of using catholes for disposal of human waste

There have only been two studies that looked directly at the rate of pathogen decline following fecal burial using the cathole disposal technique

The existing research dates back to the 1980

Research

Research

More current literature

Research findings and implications

There are over 100 bacteria, protozoans and viruses found in human feces that are capable of causing illness

Use of catholes is largely based on untested assumptions of soil ecology

Buried feces in contact with soil but not mixed with it does not represent an ideal composting situation

Depth of burial makes little difference in bacterial survival rates

Research findings and implications

Bacterial numbers remained high for over 8 weeks

Some bacteria survived overwinter much better than anticipated data – lasting as long as 51 weeks

Even after 8 weeks millions or tens of millions of bacterial cells per gram of the fecal samples remained

The study sites did not make the expected difference

Research findings and implications

Temple’s data suggest that “it is unrealistic to hope for rapid die-off of intestinal bacteria in catholes”

The idea that shallow burial of feces renders it harmless in a short time is false

While a number of studies have been initiated to assess the impact of human waste disposal on water quality, conclusions from these studies are variable and at times controversial

Research Needs There is a need for more applied research

Replication of studies done in the 1980’s

Research on the breakdown of microorganisms in site-specific locations

Studies on visitor perception of human waste disposal methods

Research on the impact on visitor experience when encountering feces in the backcountry

Studies on rates of compliance by recreationists

Continued use of catholes

Despite evidence suggesting thatpathogen breakdown in catholes

eitheroccurs slowly or not at all,

consensus isthat catholes are still the best

method fordisposing of human waste in mostenvironments when adequate soil

isavailable

Benefits of catholes When done correctly, the cathole provides

the following benefits: • Minimizes the chances of polluting water sources

• Minimizes the chances of spreading disease

• Minimizes the aesthetic impacts associated with human waste

Cathole dug in a mountain environment

Consequences of not using catholes

Toilet paper “flowers” are just one of many consequences of not properly disposing of human waste in the out of doors – other impacts include:

• Water pollution• Spread of disease

Future Application Proper disposal of human waste in

backcountry settings will continue to be an issue as long a people spend time in the outdoors

Unless new research demonstrates that there are significant negative impacts from using catholes, the practice is likely going to be promoted into the future

Other Considerations Winter/Alpine environments

Coastal environments

River corridors

Desert environments

Mountaineering situations

Large group waste disposal (latrines)

Pack out systems and strategies

Conclusion The use of catholes for disposing of human

waste will not necessarily eliminate all problems associated with human waste but will go a long way towards protecting water sources, minimizing the spread of disease and reducing the aesthetic impacts of feces

Educating visitors in proper sanitation practices is paramount in order to address health concerns and to minimize impacts to recreational resources