Alternatives to Conventional Wastewater Systems

Alternatives to Conventional Wastewater Systems

EKBO – Ecological Tenant-Owners’ Society in Orhem

•  Stockholm, Sweden

•  Convalescent home retrofitted to tenant-owners’ society

•  Ecological housing

Toilet System at EKBO – Gebers

Collection of Urine and Feces – The Toilet

•  Single-flush urine-diverting toilet –  Manufacturer: Wost Man Ecology –  Porcelain toilet –  0.1 L/flush for rinsing urine bowl –  Dry collection of feces –  Price per toilet:

appr. 300 USD –  Price for urine collection system:

appr 500 USD –  Price for feces collection system:

appr. 3000 USD

Urine Collection

•  Piping: –  Ø50 –  Polypropylene

Urine Collection

•  Piping: –  Ø50 –  Polypropylene

•  Storage –  Polypropylene –  3 x 4m3

Picture of urine tank

Urine Collection

•  Piping: –  Ø50 –  Polypropylene

•  Storage –  Material, PP? –  3 x 4-6 m3 ??

•  Emptying –  Frequency: 2-3 yearly –  Cost: appr. 1000 USD/

year Ragnsells Agro!!!!!

Feces Collection

•  Piping –  Ø200 ”Spiro”

•  Storage –  Common plastic bins

Feces Collection

•  Piping –  Ø200 ”Spiro”

•  Storage –  Common plastic bins

•  Emptying –  Feces compost –  Apartment owner’s

responsibility

Picture of new compost

Feces Treatment

•  Feces compost –  Two dedicated

”composting specialists” for O&M

–  Has never been emptied –  Soil-like appearance

after composting –  Will be used as soil

conditioner on a farm 10 km away

Picture of the compost

Grey Water Treatment

•  No local grey water treatment at present •  The grey water is conveyed to the municipal

wastewater treatment plant for the area.

Reuse of Resources: Urine

•  Storage for 6 months •  3 x 150 m3 •  Used as fertilizer at Lake Bornsjön •  Barley cultivated for 5-6 years •  Appr 2 hectares can be

fertilized from Gebers

Reuse of Resources: Feces

•  Feces compost not yet emptied.

•  Agreement with farmer 10 km away for use as soil conditioner.

•  First transport and reuse during 2003 or 2004.

Lessons Learned from the EKBO Project

•  The overall performance is satisfactory for the users of the sanitation system.

•  Occasional problems arising have been solved by good routines

•  Need of development of sanitation system

•  The handling of the feces fraction can be made cheaper and simplified in newly constructed houses

•  Information program for users

More Information

•  www.ekbo.se (in Swedish) •  www.lt.slu.se (in Swedish) •  www.iees.ch/cs/cs_4.html (in English) •  Contact person: Nicholas Hort;

[email protected]