The challenge 

Globally, more people rely on unsustainable non-sewered sanitation systems than on sewered sanitation. 

The solution 

Innovate and optimise non-sewered sanitation technologies and find better ways to treat waste and potentially recover value from it. 

The impact 

More affordable, desirable and effective sanitation technologies and processes that positively impact on health and community. 

 

More people globally rely on non-sewered sanitation than on sewered sanitation. This means that toilets need to be emptied regularly, and the waste safely transported and effectively treated off-site somehow, an overall system which sadly fails in many places currently. Working via a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Global Sanitation Technology, and with partners Oxfam and Water for People, Imperial College London is researching sustainable and effective technologies and processes for non-sewered sanitation systems. 

A collaboration that brings together the expertise of engineering researchers at Imperial with sanitation experts from Oxfam and Water for People, the partnership – Global San Tech – is tackling the major sanitation problems of our age. Professor Michael Templeton heads the Imperial team, which is conducting research in countries including Rwanda, Uganda and India. Professor Templeton said: “Our research is seeking to develop and test improved technologies and processes along the non-sewered sanitation service chain, to make this overall system work better for people in more places.” 

Design and engineering solutions

Utilising the range of skills and experience across the partnership, Global San Tech is designing, testing and piloting new technologies and frameworks that can be implemented in different situations – from households to humanitarian emergency settings. These include a low-cost septic tank that is lightweight and easy to assemble rapidly, and enhanced methods to recover resources such as energy and nutrients from the waste that is emptied from pit latrines and septic tanks.  

Real-world sanitation technology

One technology being developed further by Global San Tech that is already achieving real-world impact is the ‘Tiger Worm Toilet’. A recent innovation in sanitation technology, this affordable adaptation of a traditional pit latrine uses composting worms to treat the waste in situ. The many potential benefits of this system include a significant reduction in the latrine fill rate. The resulting compost is also safer to empty, and odours are greatly reduced.  

With so many people worldwide lacking access to safely managed sanitation, the research, roll-out, and scaling up of these technologies are essential for health and well-being.