Abstract
The water utility of Durban, eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), installed urine-diverting dry toilets to provide sanitation to under-served communities in rural and peri-urban areas. While faeces was treated by dehydration, urine was discharged into a soak away in the ground. EWS teamed up with the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and other partners in Switzerland and South Africa to valorise this resource. The VUNA project developed a sanitation system which produces a valuable fertiliser from urine, reduces pollution of water resources and promotes the acceptance of dry toilets.
Highlights
The water utility of Durban, eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), installed urine-diverting dry toilets to provide sanitation to under-served communities in rural and peri-urban areas
The VUNA project developed a sanitation system which produces a valuable fertiliser from urine, reduces pollution of water resources and promotes the acceptance of dry toilets
In urinediverting dry toilets (UDDTs), urine and faeces are separated to facilitate the drying of the faeces
Summary
The water utility of Durban, eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), installed urine-diverting dry toilets to provide sanitation to under-served communities in rural and peri-urban areas. The VUNA project developed a sanitation system which produces a valuable fertiliser from urine, reduces pollution of water resources and promotes the acceptance of dry toilets. Urine infiltration can lead to environmental pollution, such as eutrophication, and valuable resources are lost: urine contains most of the excreted nutrients, especially nitrogen,potassiumand phosphorus. They can be used as fertiliser, if they could be recovered from urine (Udert et al 2006). Through support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, EWS teamed up with the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) to develop an improved sanitation system based on nutrient recovery from urine (Etter et al 2015).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
