Analisis Economico, Ecologico Y Cultural De Baños Secos En La Comarca Lagunera, México

In 2013, in the Comarca Lagunera, Mexico (25°29’18.29’’N y 103°37’17.66’’ E) an economic, environmental and cultural analysis of a dry bath (ecological or compos) was conducted, due to the fact of a serious problem with the water for human consumption. At global and local levels “one out of six people in the world does not have access to drinking water” (UN, 2008). This situation is more severe in the Comarca Lagunera because its annual average precipitation is 252.5, while the annual evaporation is 1,757 mm, and subsoil water extraction is4, 400 mm. Moreover, in urban areas a family with five members using traditional bath needs around 20,000 liters of water, which is contaminated, causing diseases and expenses. In the region, saving water may be improved by: i. Capturing, storing and treating rainwater, ii. Recycling gray and black water, iii. Using ecological bathrooms, iv. Other. Here, we show the results of using ecological bathrooms. The current cost benefits showed RB/C=0.783 and NPV=$2,729.79, making it unviable economically, 2. Culturally, they are unviable because these factors are a strong obstacle in their use and even more important than economic and ecological factors. 3. Ecologically, the impact is attractive because it saves approximately 22, 000 liters of water per year. Moreover, they generate around 500 kg of manure and almost 500 liters of liquid fertilizer. The most important aspect is that level of contamination is zero. The dry bathrooms are ecologically viable and it is highly recommended to promote them even though they are not economically viable.