Self-contained waste disposal system including self-cleaning filter

Abstract

A self-contained toilet and waste treatment system comprises a toilet, a water flushing means, a waste treatment chamber including a comminuted redwood filter bed and digestion medium and a final filter, which treats the liquid effluent from the redwood filter and digestion medium, consisting of first and second porous sheet electrically conductive, generally metallic, elements spaced apart from one another and separated by a gas bubble impervious porous material. This filter also includes a means of imposing an electrical potential to establish an electrolytic current between the metallic elements. The first of the porous metallic elements through which the effluent passes acts as a filter member. A negative charge is established there and gaseous hydrogen is evolved, at a pressure on the order of 100 PSI. The evolving hydrogen gas bubbles displace semi-solid material from the metallic filtered element. Filtered material then settles and is removed, preferably for recycle to the redwood filter and digestion treatment chamber. Oxygen, and chlorine in the case of normal waste treatment, are evolved under the influence of the positively charged second metallic member. Filtered effluent, thus chlorinated and with residual solids therein oxidized, may then be recycled to the flushing means or discharged if so desired.