Part of the solution to the global sanitation crisis is to reinvent the toilet, and promote an international performance standard for the reinvented toilet, an effort well underway thanks to the joint efforts of our organizations. Another critical step will be to reinvent sewage treatment through the deployment of Omni-processor (OP) technology. The goal of the OP is to safely process human waste and recover valuable resources such as water, energy, and/or nutrients through economically sustainable technologies in an off-grid and non-sewered environment. A recent study by TUV SUD indicates the lack of a generally applicable standard for an OP-type system, necessary to enable large scale incentives for adoption.
Building off the experience of the Reinvented Toilet Standardization project, ANSI will lead two phases of work. The first phase will involve a landscaping initiative that will include stakeholders’ meetings to share expertise and gather technical input for a standard (or set of standards) to be developed for the OP. The initiative will complement related activities led by TUV SUD and pave the way for a future international standard for the OP. The second phase of work will involve development of an international standard for the OP in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Current state of affairs (September 2018): The first phase of work was completed successfully in April 2018 with the publication of ISO IWA 28:2018 Faecal sludge treatment units — Energy independent, prefabricated, community-scale resource-recovery units — Safety and performance. Immediately following the IWA, ISO project committee 318 was established to develop an international standard for Community-scale resource-oriented sanitation treatment systems. The committee is active now, with 27 participating members and 16 observing members.
Related discussions on SuSanA Discussion Forum
Project information on website of ISO
Project information on website of grantee
Leslie McDermott
lmcdermott@ansi.org
Susanah Doucet
sdoucet@ansi.org
Product design and engineeringOtherGlobalOtherFaecal sludge treatment processesBill & Melinda Gates FoundationPractitionersGovernment-owned entity (not university or research)
ChinaIndiaSenegalSouth AfricaUnited States
Project location