b. Maintaining the Latrine. The latrine is burned out daily by adding a fuel
mixture (one quart gasoline to five quarts of diesel oil) to incinerate the fecal matter.
Highly volatile gasoline or JP4 fuel should not be used because of its explosive nature.
Welding handles to the sides of the drum will enable two men to carry the drum with
ease. If two sets of drums are available, one set can be used while the other set is
being burned out. This means that eight burn-out latrines should be used for each 100
males and 12 burn-out latrines should be constructed for each 100 females. Male
personnel should urinate in a urine disposal facility rather than the burn-out latrine
because burning the contents of a drum containing liquid requires additional fuel. After
the burning, only a dry, odorless ash should remain. Sometimes two burnings are
required to render a dry and odorless ash. The dry ash should be buried.
4-16. URINE DISPOSAL FACILITIES
Urine disposal facilities should be provided to accommodate at least five percent
of the male component of the command at one time. This means that for a unit of 100
men, five pipe urinals (paragraph b below) are needed. When trough urinals (paragraph
c below) are used, 10 feet of length should be allowed for every 100 men.
a. Urinal Drainage. Urinals should be drained either into a soakage pit or into a
standard deep pit latrine if the urinals are constructed in conjunction with the pit latrine.
The urine may be drained into a deep pit latrine through a pipe, a hose, or a screened
trough. If a soakage pit is to be used, it should be dug four feet square and four feet
deep and filled with rocks, bricks, broken bottles, or similar rubble. It should then be
covered with tarpaper, boards, or other suitable material and a layer of earth. If the
urine disposal facility is located some distance from the sleeping area, another urinal
should be provided at a convenient location for use at night.
b. Pipe Urinal. Pipe urinals are the preferred type of urinal. They should be at
least one inch in diameter. They are placed at each corner of the soakage pit and, if
needed, on two sides halfway between the corners (figure 4-10). These pipes should
extend at least eight inches below the surface of the pit. A screened funnel of tarpaper,
sheet metal, or similar material is placed in the top of each pipe, the upper rim
extending about 30 inches above the ground surface.
c. Trough Urinal. If the necessary materials are available and pipe urinals are
not desired, a 10-foot long trough urinal (figure 4-11) may be built. This trough may be
either U- or V-shaped and made of sheet metal or of wood. If made of wood, the trough
should be lined with metal or heavy tarpaper. A splashboard is inserted down the
middle of the trough. The legs that support the trough are cut slightly shorter on the one
end. At the lower end, a shallow trough or a pipe is attached to carry the urine from the
urinal trough to the soakage pit or deep pit latrine.
d. Operation. In order to ensure the proper operation of the latrine facilities, the
following procedures should be observed.
(1) Use the pipes or the trough--do not urinate on the surface of the pit.
(2) Wash funnels or trough daily with soap and water.
MD0535
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