Dumping, Grinding, or Burning? Choosing Your Narrowboat Toilet
Choosing a toilet for your narrowboat is a decision that will directly impact your day-to-day life on the water. While it may not be the most glamorous topic, understanding your options is crucial for ensuring a comfortable and convenient cruising experience.
Here’s a clear breakdown of the most common narrowboat toilet systems.
1. The Pump-Out Toilet: Just Like Home
A pump-out toilet is the closest you'll get to a conventional loo on the water. It’s a sealed system where waste is stored in a large tank hidden beneath the floor.
How it Works: When you flush, waste is either ground up by a macerator or simply falls directly into the tank below. Chemicals are added to the tank to break down waste and control odors. When the tank is full, you connect a hose at a pump-out station, which uses a powerful vacuum to suck the waste out of your boat and into a main sewer system.
Who it's for: This is a great choice for those who want a simple, hands-off experience. You don't have to handle the waste yourself, and it’s very easy to use.
The Catch: You’re dependent on finding and paying for pump-out stations, which can be hard to locate in remote areas or during winter freezes.
2. The Cassette Toilet: Simple and Self-Contained
The cassette toilet is a very popular choice due to its simplicity and flexibility. It consists of a fixed toilet unit with a removable, portable waste tank—the "cassette"—that you empty yourself.
How it Works: Waste is flushed into a cassette (usually 14-19 litres), which is then sealed to contain odors. When the cassette is full, you simply remove it from a hidden hatch on the side of the boat and take it to an "Elsan point" found at most marinas and canal sanitary stations. Emptying is typically free.
Who it's for: This is perfect for boaters who want to be more independent. You don’t need a pump-out station to empty it, and carrying a spare cassette gives you extra time between trips to the Elsan point.
The Catch: The cassette can be heavy and messy to empty. It also has a smaller capacity, so you'll be emptying it frequently, especially with more people on board.
3. The Incinerator Toilet: High-Tech and Waterless
An incinerator toilet is a modern, high-tech option that completely eliminates the need for holding tanks and pump-out stations.
How it Works: Waste is deposited into a special bowl liner and then dropped into a sealed chamber. When you activate the unit, an element heats the chamber to extreme temperatures (over 500°C), burning the waste until only a small amount of sterile, bacteria-free ash remains. This ash can be disposed of in regular household waste.
Who it's for: This is the ultimate choice for boaters who want maximum independence and don’t want to worry about finding emptying facilities.
The Catch: This system is expensive to purchase, consumes a lot of power (or gas), and the incineration process can be noisy.
4. The Compost Toilet: Sustainable and Eco-Friendly
For the eco-conscious boater, a compost toilet offers a sustainable and chemical-free way to manage waste.
How it Works: A compost toilet separates liquid and solid waste into different containers. The solids are mixed with a bulking agent like sawdust, which helps dry out the waste and prevents odors. A small fan promotes aeration, and the solids slowly turn into compost over time.
Who it's for: This is ideal for those who want to conserve water and avoid using chemicals. It also requires less frequent emptying than a cassette toilet.
The Catch: It requires hands-on management, and you must find a legal and responsible way to dispose of both the liquid and the finished compost.
Choosing the right toilet for your narrowboat is a crucial part of designing a boat that fits your lifestyle. For more information on what goes into a bespoke narrowboat build, check out ou