Assessment of simple sanitation systems 1 - Greywater treatment

Simple, cheap and well functioning wastewater systems are needed for improving the life of the 2.6 billion people presently without even a toilet. Such systems are also needed for the expaning areas of scattered houses, e.g. in vacation districts.

We have, with support from Sida, installed such a simple and cheap system in six houses in East London, South Africa. The system has dry urine diversion toilets. Thus, the wastewater consists only of greywater from the wash basin and the kitchen. The greywater is treated in a mulch tower and by a biofilm on a geotextile and then infiltrated into the ground.
The project consists of measuring the quantity and quality of the greywater produced and the treatment effect and function of the mulch tower and the biofilm treatment. The measurements will be done during a 3-4 week period and will be done in collaboration with other students measuring on the other components of the sanitation system. This project is done in collaboration between Stockholm Environment Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal and Buffalo City Municipality.