Archive · 25 Oct 2025
Pathashaala School: Transforming Waste into Soil with Dry Toilets
Pathashaala is a school in India that uses a special type of toilet that doesn't use water to flush.
Instead, it collects waste and turns it into soil over six months.
This helps save water and prevents pollution of the local water source.
Students, teachers, and staff all use the same toilets, promoting equality.
This unique system was developed in response to environmental concerns and encourages students to think about the impact of their actions.
The school has designed and built its own toilets and the students are involved in the process, learning the value of the environment and what happens to what we consider waste.
Pathashaala School in Tamil Nadu uses dry toilets to compost human waste into soil.
The school's dry toilet system has been in use since 2010, saving approximately 540,000 liters of water annually.
The composting process takes about six months, with harvests occurring twice a year.
The school designed and built its own toilets after the original manufacturer shut down.
The initiative aims to promote environmental sustainability and equality among students and staff.
- Who
- Pathashaala, a Krishnamurti Foundation India school.
- What
- Using dry toilets to compost human waste into soil.
- When
- The system was implemented in 2010; composting happens twice a year, on April 2 and October 2.
- Where
- Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, India
- Why
- To conserve water, protect the local aquifer, and promote environmental responsibility and equality.
- School Name
- Pathashaala (Krishnamurti Foundation India)
- Location
- Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, India
- Toilet Type
- Urine-diverting dry compost toilets (UDDTs)
- Opened
- August 2010
- Student Count (approx.)
- 104
- Teacher Count (approx.)
- 25
- Composting Cycle
- Six months