A standard for sewage treatment plants is to improve the sanitation situation in developing countries. The international technical services group TÜV SÜD has been awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to assess facilities aimed at 1,000 to 100,000 people. The project started in November 2015 and is designed for a term of seven months.
Over one-third of the global population do not have access to functioning sanitation facilities and sewage disposal. This lack of sanitation adversely affects social and economic development in the countries concerned and is also a source of significant environmental pollution. One challenge is the treatment of sludge that even if collected in conventional pit latrines or sewage tanks often there is a lack of proper disposal. “Sustainable improvement of this situation requires innovative technologies that support decentralized solutions for sanitation facilities and wastewater treatment”, says Dr Andreas Hauser, Director of Water Services at TÜV SÜD.
The Omni Processor concept for example, might convert faecal sludge and possibly other solid organic wastes into beneficial outputs such as biomass for generating electricity, potable or non-potable water and ash without any negative impact on the environment.
