On-site sanitation: a viable alternative to modern wastewater treatment plants.
Rapid population growth and urbanization are exerting excessive pressure on soil and water resources. To address these problems this paper proposes a cheap and sustainable alternative sanitation system, which accelerates nutrient recycling ("closing the loop"): ecological sanitation (ecosan) is a potential alternative to conventional sanitation systems that replenishes the organic matter and nutrients of the soil that are taken off as the crop harvest. A comparison is made of the environmental and the operation and maintenance costs between a modern wastewater treatment plant and on-site sanitation. An elevated double box urine diverting toilet ("ecotoilet") is proposed and its advantages and disadvantages over a system with a centrally controlled modern WWTP are discussed. Bagmati Area Sewerage Project in Kathmandu is taken as an example of modern WWTP and ecosan being practiced in a village in Nepal is taken as an example of ecotoilet for the comparison.
Lamichhane
K M
KM
Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, Kathmandu, Nepal. klamichhane@ntc.net.np
D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D012498:Sanitary Engineering; D012722:Sewage; D014038:Toilet Facilities; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
D012722:Sewage