A system developed by University of South Florida engineers that turns sewage into clean water, energy and fertiliser is being further refined with an additional grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 2.3 billion people around the world still do not have access to toilets or improved latrines. Approximately 280,000 deaths occur each year in low- and middle-income countries as a result of poor sanitation.
Aside from the obvious humanitarian aspect, there’s very a strong financial case for improving sanitation. WHO says for every dollar invested in sanitation, there’s a return of $5.50 in the form of lower health costs, increased productivity and fewer premature deaths.
Developed by University of South Florida engineering professor Daniel Yeh, PhD, the compact solar-powered NEWgenerator (Nutrients, Energy, Water) could be part of the solution to increasing access to suitable sanitation facilities, while preserving precious water supplies. Given its compact nature, NEWgenerator could also be used in the aftermath of disasters to provide temporary sanitation facilities.
“Our mission is to enable affordable and reliable advanced water recycling, in some of the most challenging settings on the planet, for the billions worldwide who lack the infrastructure for water and sanitation,” says Dr. Yeh.
NEWGenerator harnesses anaerobic microorganisms that consume the waste discharged from community ablution blocks (CABs), creating biogas in the process. Between the biogas and solar panels on top of the unit, the system requires no further energy inputs and surplus gas can be used for other purposes, such as fuel for cooking stoves..
As well as creating a fuel, the anaerobic approach reduces the amount of energy required for processing compared to conventional wastewater treatment processes that use aeration tanks.
To recover water from the waste, a microscopic membrane first filters it, trapping remaining pathogens and the anaerobic microorganisms. The filtered water is treated with chlorine and can then be used for toilet flushing and irrigation.
The organic material left over from the process can be utilised as a nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous-rich fertiliser.
The NEWgenerator has already achieved success in India in conjunction with the world’s first “e-toilet” project. With the assistance of a further grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Yeh will head to Durban in South Africa early next year to trial an updated version of the unit that can support 100 users a day, and a new model that is hoped to cope with 1,000 users daily.
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