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Introduction to Ecological Sanitation
Christine WernerDeutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
ecological sanitation program, Division 44 – environment and infrastructure
(Ecological Sanitation Symposium, Syria, 11-13.12.2005)
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Overview
world wide water and sanitation problemshortcomings of conventional sanitation ecosan principles, concept and strategiesagricultural utilisation of nutrientsecosan benefitsmain challengesconclusion
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Increasing scarcity and degrading quality of freshwater1.1 billion people around the world have no access to safe drinking water2.4 billion people have inadequate sanitation and/or no means of wastewater disposalExpected growth of the global population by another 2 billion people within the next 25 years needing sanitation90 % of wastewater worldwide is either poorly treated or not treated at all at discharge80 % of all diseases and 25 % of all deaths in developing countries can be attributed to polluted water (WHO)
World water and sanitation crises
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Achievement of poverty eradication and sustainable development by rapidly increasing access to basic requirements such as clean water, sanitation, energy, health care, food security and the protection of biodiversity
Set target for water and sanitation:
To halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and to adequate sanitation by 2015
Millenium development goals (MDGs)
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Shortcomings of conventional water carriage sanitation
fertilizer production from finite resources
food
Mixing of flow streams, misuse of drinking water
for transport
90% untreated
waste disposal in water bodies
sewage sludge
overexploitation of groundwater
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Shortcomings of conventional water carriage sanitation
The idea, that human excreta are wastes with no useful purpose is a modern misconception. It has led to the develop-ment of so-called “drop and store” or “flush and forget” sanitation solutions, where precious drinking water is used to transport excreta into the water cycle misusing our rivers, oceans and aquifers as a sink for untreated waste. Linear end-of-pipe technology
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Shortcomings of conventional water carriage sanitation
Unsatisfactory purification or uncontrolled discharge of more than 90 % of wastewater worldwide
Severe water pollution, unbearable health risks
Consumption of precious water for transport of waste High investment, energy, operating and maintenance costsFrequent subsidization of prosperous areas and neglect of poorer settlements
Loss of valuable nutrients and trace elements contained in excrements due to discharge into waters
Problems with contaminated sewage sludge in combined, central systems Linear end-of-pipe technology
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Retention of solids
Infiltration of liquids
Polluted groundwaterNitrates
Viruses
Pathogens
Shortcomings of conventional „drop and store“ sanitation
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Availability of water worldwide
sour
ce: E
arth
scan
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Water situation in Syria
among 17.38 million population, 79% have improved drinking water , 77% have improved sanitation (WHO/UNICEF), but few wastewater treatment plantsscarce water resourcesgroundwater pollution through nitrateneed for hygienically safe irrigation watercontamination of wastewater treatment sewer sludge through industrial effluents.total yearly water use is 19,162m3, but available water resource only amounts to 14,589m3(FAO publication).87% of water use is for agricultural irrigation. (FAO publication).
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Closing the loop between sanitation and agriculture
restoring soilfertility
treatment / hygienization / energy
recoverywater reuse no waste disposal in
water bodies
rainwater harvesting
food
organic waste
faecesurine
greywater
agriculturaluse
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Ecological sanitation - a new approach
Improves health by minimizing the introduction of pathogens from human excrements into the water cyclePromotes safe recovery and use of nutrients, organics, trace elements, water and energy
Preserves soil fertility and improves agricultural productivity
Conserves resources
Good for decentralised systems and more appropriate, cost-efficient solutions
Promotes of a holistic, interdisciplinary approach
Material flow cycle instead of disposal
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Eco-sanitation concepts and strategies
eco-sanitation…… is not a specific technology, but a new philosophy - based on an eco-system-oriented view of material flows - of dealing with what is presently regarded as waste and wastewater for disposal…considers human excreta and wastewater not as wastes but as natural resources … applies the basic natural principal of closing the loop by using modern and safe sanitation and reuse technologies… opens up a wider range of sanitation options than those currently considered.
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Ecosan principles
NUTRIENTS NUTRIENTS
closing the loopbetween sanitation
and agriculture
FOODFOOD
Pathogen destruction
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composting, anaerobic digestion
organic waste
soilimprovement,
biogas
treatment
utilisation
substances faeces(brownwater)
anaerobic digestion,
drying, composting
biogas, soil
improvement
constructedwetlands, gardening,
wastewater ponds, biol.treatment, membrane-
technology
greywater (shower,
washing, etc.)
irrigation,groundwater-
recharge ordirect reuse
urine (yellowwater)
liquid or dry fertiliser
hygienisation bystorage or
drying
filtration,biological treatment
rainwater
water supply,groundwater-
recharge
Separation of substances
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0
20
Organicskg COD/ (Person·year)
12.3
3.6
14.1
VolumeLiter / (Person·year)
10.0
00 –
200.
000
l
500 l 50 l
sour
ce: O
tterp
ohl
0
6
Nutrient contentkg N,P,K / (Person·year)
N
PK
0.8
5.3
1.0
Composition of household wastewater
greywater urine faeces
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Climate protection
Flood protection
Resource conservationBusiness and labour
promotion
Food security
HealthSustainable agriculture
+Conservation of soil fertility
Integrated Water ResourcesManagement
Ecosan is a cross-sectoral approach
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(Saskatchewan Interactive, 2002)
Trend of fertilizer consumption
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World demand for phosphate fertilizers continues to expand in relation to increased world population and food requirements.
For the period 2003-07, world phosphate consumption is forecasted to increase by 2.6% annually.
Within about 60 years, all reserved phosphate are expected to be mined.
Future conflicts on the access to phosphate are likely, due to the limited reserves and the concentration of significant minable resources in a very small number of countries.
sour
ce: U
S G
eolo
gica
lsur
vey,
200
3
Phosphate
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One person can provide enough nutrients for:200 m2 to 400 m2 agricultural production area, depending on soil and plant type, but:
Agricultural utilisation of nutrients
1. a multi-barrier concept is recommended for securing hygienic safetyin the reuse of human faeces and urine in agriculture:
Awareness raising and education on hygiene and reuse aspectsProper pre-treatment (storage, drying, composting, anaerobicdigestion, heating, filtration, irradiation with UV etc.)Suitable „handling“ (with security measures) Limitation to specific vegetables and field crops, or to specificvegetation periods, depending on pre-treatment
2. the crops nutrient needs have to be respected (no over-fertilisation) with respect to crop quality and environmental concerns
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Wastewater and excreta are a valuable resource
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
global mineralfertilizer
consumption
global fertilizerequivalent inwastewater
million tons per year
(as N + P2O5 + K2O)135
50
ww
w.fe
rtiliz
er.o
rgfarmers around the world yearly require 135 Mio tons of mineral fertiliser for their crops, while at the same time conventional sanitation dumps 50 Mio tons of fertiliser equivalents from so called wastewater flows into our water bodies - nutrients with a market value of around 15 Billion US dollars.
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• recovery of energy content(covering about 20% of cooking energy needsfor a typical family in a developing country)
• energy savings in fertilizerproduction & wastewater treatment
Wastewater and excreta are a valuable resource
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sour
ce: D
rang
ert,
1998
Fertilizer Equivalence of Yearly per Capita Excreted Nutrients and Fertiliser Requirements for Producing
250 kg of Cereals
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
N N P P K K
Nut
rient
(kg)
cerealrequirements
faeces
urine
Fertilizer potential of human excreta
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Characteristics of substances
of no major hygienic concernvolumetrically the largest portion of wastewatercontains almost no nutrients (simplified treatment)may contain spent washing powders etc.
3. Greywater(from washing, shpwering etc.)
less hygienically critical - almost sterilecontains the largest proportion of nutrients available to plantsmay contain hormones or medical residues
2. urine
hygienically critical - many pathogensconsists of organics, nutrients and trace elementsimproves soil quality and increase its water retention capacity
1. faeces
characteristicfraction
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Sanitising faeces
Temperature
pH
Ammonia
Dryness
Solar radiation
Competition
Nutrients
Oxygen
sour
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cosa
nRes
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not relevantnot relevantnoneLocal application to fieldcrop of cat. B, without
contact to personsC
no suggestedstandard
</= 1workerApplication to field crop
(for industrial use, feedstock, trees)
B
</= 1000</= 1worker,
consumer, public
Application to field crop (used for raw food)A
Feacalcoliforms[number /
100 g]
Nematodes[Eggs / kg]
Person / Group
exposedUseCategory
WHO guidelines for agricultural use of treated water (1989)
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• e.g. separate collection of urine or blackwater
• centralized nutrient processing facility
• centralized greywater sewer system and treatment
• centralized sewer system and treatment
• recovery of nutrients and water e.g. through reuse of wastewater
Partially decentralizedCentralized Fully decentralized
• small-scale closed cycles of water and materials
sour
ce: L
arse
n, 2
001
Centralised and decentralized systems
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Projected costs for sanitation service for 5000 inhabitants, Germany
Vacuum urine-diversiontoilet
sour
ce: B
erlin
er W
asse
rbet
riebe
Conventionaltoilet (WC)
Composting urine diversiontoilet
Time (year)
Cos
t
Cost comparison: ecosan vs. conventional
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Benefits of ecological sanitation
safe sanitation
sour
ce: w
ww
.virt
ualm
useu
m.c
a
sour
ce: J
ohan
nes
Hee
b
ecosan-toilets in Bangalore, India
healthy environment
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Benefits of ecological sanitation
restored soil fertility throughnutrient reuse
sour
ce:V
inne
rås,
200
3
improved soil quality throughreuse of organics
urinefaeces & urine none
compostimproved soil untreated soil
after one week without water
sour
ce: P
ette
rJen
ssen
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Examples of ecosan technologies
biogas plant
sour
ce: w
ww
.abr
-w.d
e
urine-separating dehydration latrine
sour
ce: A
ussi
e Au
stin
constructed wetlands
membrane technology
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Main challenges
increasing awareness
integration of reuse into water supply and sanitation planning
revision of legal frameworks & technical standards
establishment of full cost analysis and risk and benefit comparisons
finding innovative investors and adapting financing instruments
implementation of large scale urban projects so
urce
: Pet
terJ
enss
en
Greywater treatment in Norway
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To promote the development and pilot application of holistic ecologically, economically and socially sustainable recycling- based wastewater and sanitation concepts in developing countries
To contribute to the global dissemination and application of ecosan approaches and establish these as state-of-the-art techniques – in both, developing and in industrialized countries
Aims of the GTZ – ecosan programme
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GTZ – ecosan programme
knowledge management and networkinge-newsletterecosan website www.gtz.de/ecosan
ecosan source book (in progress)
ecosan-project data sheets (in progress)
ecosan-technologies data sheets (in progress)
brochures, posters, professional articles, films, etc.
conferences & workshops
cooperation in the field
national & international working groups
ecosan pilot research and demonstration projectsbaseline and feasibility studies for sanitation systems, treatment and reuse systemsadvocacy and decision making workshopstraining workshopstechnical and operational advice for implementationaccompanying research upscaling of projects and dissemination of experiencesmore than 40 pilot projects worldwide
Key activities of the GTZ-ecosan programme
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conclusion
“business as usual“ will not allow us to meet the MGDs, as conventional systems have failed
we cannot continue to waste our non-renewable resources
ecological sanitation must be recognized and introduced as the new promising holistic and sustainable approach to provide safe and decent sanitation, reduce poverty, contribute to food security, preserve our environment and maintain our natural basis of life on earth
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Thank you!
www.gtz.de/[email protected]
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