Data acquisition and field support for sanitation projects

Purpose

Phase 1 is about designing, prototyping, and evaluating a toilet system that can safely dispose of pollutants and recover valuable materials. The objective of phase 2 is to characterise physical and chemical properties of different excreta streams.

Activities

Assistance will be provided to other BMGF grantees in establishing and evaluating their prototypes in Durban, and providing a support of their work by:
- obtaining experimental data of a range of excreta streams,
- undertaking generic process investigations on selected excreta streams,
- developing process models of material flows and transformations,
- facilitating field trials for BMGF grantees in Durban, and
- obtaining data from other countries (either field or from prototypes) in the last few months of the project.

This current project also links into a number of other research projects being carried out within the Pollution Research Group including:
Mechanical Properties of Faecal Sludge (BMGF funded project)
Economic Evaluation of Faecal Sludge Disposal Routes (BMGF funded Project)
Promoting Sanitation and Nutrient Recovery through Urine Separation (in collaboration with EAWAG through a BMGF funded project - VUNA)
Characterisation of on-site Sanitation Material and Products: VIP Latrines and Pour Flush Toilets (funded by the South African Water Research Commission)
An assessment of Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) as a sanitation solution for housing developments not linked to the sewer (funded by BORDA)
An assessment of the use of wastewater from Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) for agricultural purposes (undertaken by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences and funded by the South African Water Research Commission)
Modelling of the anaerobic digestion process (funded by the South African Water Research Commission)

Countries of activity

Location of main activity

Further information

This was an RTTC grant.

Filter tags

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Biogas systems Capacity development Community sanitation Decentralised wastewater treatment (e.g. DEWATS) Emptying and transport (non sewered) Energy: biogas Faecal sludge treatment processes Fertiliser Fundamental research and engineering Global Peri-urban Product design and engineering Resource recovery Sub-Saharan Africa Technology comparisons Toilets or urinals (user interface) Treatment of faecal sludge Treatment of wastewater or greywater University, education or research institution Urban informal settlements (slums) Urine diversion dehydration toilets (UDDTs)

Links