The Future in Sanitation is off the grid!


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How much water do each of us use every day? Can future sanitation systems and off-the-grid houses be designed so as to minimize energy and water consumption? Where does wastewater management fit into the waste hierarchy/pyramid? In his presentation, Björn Vinnerås, Associate Professor at SLU shares with us his vision of future housing: a future where there… Continue reading The Future in Sanitation is off the grid!

Lessons learnt towards sustainable resource loops, and remaining challenges


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On 25th October, the kretsloppsteknik research group hosted a farewell symposium in honor of Professor Håkan Jönsson. At SLU, Prof. Jönsson has been leading research and education on the topic of nutrient recycling from wastewater and food waste since 1993, when the topic was first introduced at the department of energy and technology. It was under his lead, the… Continue reading Lessons learnt towards sustainable resource loops, and remaining challenges

Source separation: the future for efficient resource recovery


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What is ‘New Sanitation’ according to Professor Grietje Zeeman from Wageningen University in the Netherlands? How has the practical experience been so far with the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for blackwater treatment and bio-flocculation of greywater? Can micropollutants be mitigated through composting of anaerobic sludge? Are heavy metals from wastewater really a problem in… Continue reading Source separation: the future for efficient resource recovery

Sustainable technologies to meet the future needs for sanitation


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Is it possible to reduce the water footprint of a city to 1/10th of its current value without sacrificing any comfort? What does circular economy mean for sanitation systems? How important is phosphorous for food production? How can source separation systems improve nutrient cycling in the environment? Can we produce biodiesel from algae grown in… Continue reading Sustainable technologies to meet the future needs for sanitation

Emerging solutions to the water challenges of an urbanizing world


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How do we tackle the unprecedented increase in nutrient emissions in the world? How much nitrogen is emitted by agriculture and wastewater treatment? In her presentation at SLU, Professor Tove Larsen from EAWAG, Switzerland analyses the current wastewater treatment situation in various regions in the world. She suggests urine source separation can be part of… Continue reading Emerging solutions to the water challenges of an urbanizing world

Improving wastewater treatment plants for increased nutrient recovery


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Dr. David Gustavsson, Research Leader at Sweden Water Research loves centralized wastewater treatment plants! He starts his presentation saying…“I really love these plants”. At a symposium filled with people discussing the possibility of taking sanitation off the grid, that’s quite a statement to make. Jokingly, he further comments, “….should I leave now?”. How good are… Continue reading Improving wastewater treatment plants for increased nutrient recovery

The Future of Sanitation – a return to circular systems


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Is urine diversion a new concept? In his presentation at SLU, Jan-Olof Drangert, Assoc. Prof. at Linköping University traces the evolution of sanitation and nutrient recycling in Sweden over the years. He suggests that, water-based sanitation used in the 20th century may have been just a brief detour in human history as we’ve strongly relied… Continue reading The Future of Sanitation – a return to circular systems

Urine Diversion in Durban – Has it exceeded the original vision?


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The eThekwini Municipality in the greater Durban region with its 80,000 urine diverting toilets is often highlighted as a success story for dry sanitation. In a recent presentation at SLU, Professor Chris Buckley, Head of the Pollution Research Group at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa reflected on the eThekwini case study. Curious to know whether or not… Continue reading Urine Diversion in Durban – Has it exceeded the original vision?