University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pollution Research Group (PRG) in South Africa plans to take an innovative and groundbreaking initiative that will take toilet technology and sanitation to a new level. Currently utilized urine-diversion toilets will be modified and developed to include three streams of waste (urine, faeces and wash water). The solid waste and bulk objects (e.g. toilet paper and diapers) will be processed to ultimately produce ash for fertiliser, flue gases and steam for water recovery, and energy for heating the drier and combustor which are integral to the process.
The urine and flush water will be filtered and transferred to a water-recovery unit where a high-quality water stream will be removed and sent to a general water-storage tank. The remaining concentrated urine stream will then be processed in order to separate the urea and other salts. It will, however, require deodorizing and would need a microbial risk analysis in case any of the separation processes fail, resulting in water-borne disease. It is envisaged that this water will be used for flush purposes, system cleaning and hand-washing, once chlorinated.
Take Sanergy, a Kenyan-based enterprise building a network of low cost, hygienic waterless toilets in east Africa’s urban slums. For a $500 one off payment, Fresh Life Toilets are franchised to residents, who operate them as businesses by charging a small fee to users.
Sanergy collects the waste and converts it into nutrient-rich organic fertiliser which is then sold on to Kenyan farmers. To date, Sanergy has launched 555 toilets to a network of 270 Fresh Life operators serving 25,000 people a day while safely removing more than seven tonnes of waste from communities daily.
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