Clivus Multrum compost toilet

On September 4, 2013, I sat in the Board Meeting Room at 1000 Washington St. waiting for a verdict from the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters: Would or wouldn’t the State of Massachusetts approve an indoor compost toilet for the Old Oak Dojo?

The answer came 30 minutes later: “Unapproved.”

Wha…?

The motion to approve our variance was denied. The motion to deny our variance was denied. Ah, the drama, the dialogue, the fear present in that room… Concerns about finger-pointing, neighbors, rats, innovation… A split vote… Another split vote… A final surrender to maintaining the status quo… Suffice it to say we modern, civilized humans live in terror of our own bodily waste.

It took another six months before we finally received our second hearing date of March 26. We headed back to 1000 Washington St., fingers crossed on behalf of all of Boston’s anti-sewer-sludge-pro-humanurists. This case is for precedent.

This morning, our ablutionary purgatory has finally ended. We are now official recipients of Variance 6-1 — setting a new precedent of the approval of indoor compost toilets in the City of Boston.

We can’t wait to invite you all to deposit your treasures in our facilities.