arch-peace news and articles

5.9.11

Waterless toilets for Jamaica's Poor

Food For The Poor has launched an initiative to install eco-friendly, waterless toilets in locations throughout St. Catherine, Jamaica. The initiative aims to replace dangerous pit latrines and provide schools and families throughout impoverished communities of the island with proper sanitation.

In our efforts to bring sustainable solutions to those we serve, we were eager to invest in a test of this environmentally friendly technology. This innovative solution will allow Food For The Poor to improve the living conditions of the poor, regardless of their proximity to water.
- Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO.

The system separates liquid and solid waste as it enters the toilet bowl. Liquid waste drains to the bottom of the container, while solid waste remains on the drying plate. Both are exposed to a continuous flow of air. As the air moves through the system it dehydrates the solid waste as it migrates down the drying plate, and causes the liquid to evaporate quickly.

After a three-month trial period, Food For The Poor will determine whether this environmentally friendly sanitation system will be included in schools and homes constructed by the nonprofit organization in Haiti and Jamaica

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very nice. I've been trying to work out/ask why this kind of drying technology isn't used in disaster situations. Although, one would expect to require temperatures of over 100 degrees C to kill off all the pathogens, and I'm not sure the system you describe will reliably do that. Lower temperatures may eventually dessicate the excreta, but not actually kill the pathogen cells.

I don't know whether it would be technically feasible, but I'd think a large solar oven (obviously in the right climatic conditions) would be more likely to reach the higher temperatures required.

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