Sanitation is based on 5500 years old technology - time for a change

Waterborne sewage was implemented 5500 years ago by the Mesopotamians, and nothing has changed within sewage systems, except we got flush toilets. This was the beginning of CSSS - Centralised Sewered Sanitation solutions.

What did it do for us?? Apparently it is trying to kills us!

The developed world - Cholera when bad governments (South Africa 2023) fail to maintain sewerage and water treatment infrastructure, 800+ sewage spills daily in UK(2022) and 1000+ (UK 2021). USA, Canada are close behind and they measure in tonnes per annum of sewage spilt. Globally, 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused, contributing to a situation where approximately 1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery and typhoid.  This group all have poor infrastructure due to the age thereof.

Developing world - Other countries in the developing world either have no apparent political will to resolve this problem resulting in massive open defecation with concomitant death and disease (India),

Other countries are wanting to implement solutions but struggle without any decent ideas beyond centralised sewered sanitation solutions. This is extremely expensive when starting from scratch as they are, and when coupled with small to no budgets they simply cannot progress. Ghana (2023) is trying to borrow money as the State, to give repayable loans to property owners to install their own sanitation systems in their garden, such as septic tanks and pit latrines. Paying for a basic human right that is clearly a duty of government??

Then we add PFAS and the environment becomes toxic, in every sense of the word. The USA today (5/6/23) saw an extremely large lawsuit by the state of Maine ( https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/02/states-sue-3m-dupont-over-forever-chemicals-in-drinking-water.html )starting against 3M for polluting the environment with PFAS materials. Sewage treatment plants (STP) are being shut down or stopped from selling their sludge as it is so toxic. Governments in the EU and USA for example are at their wits end, claiming they are doing research on the impact of PFAS on humans and the broader environment, yet closing STPs, banning products, companies being litigated against, and this is the tip of the iceberg.

If we are experiencing and living in the middle of a success story, it requires we revisit our values.

Sewerage is in a crisis. So why not fix and change it? There are several reasons.

The whole industry globally is built on the same business model. Change requires a new business model, which creates financial fears among the incumbents in the private and public sector alike. The need is to shift to a Decentralised Non-Sewered Sanitation solution (DNSS). We approached a large player in the industry and their response was “not interested, we have a massive pipe laying company which is our cash cow, and your product will destroy that company”. Makes business sense, not so?  Does not make environmental sense by any means!

Our initial product has been extended to work in practically every environment. It operates in the portable/temporary market, for distressed communities, disaster recovery, replaces septic tanks and pit latrines, and works in a modern home environment. It does not require indoor plumbing to be changed. Needs no water and produces dried solid and liquid waste that is pathogen free with multiple uses.

Well, it took us 10 years to invent, design and refine a DNSS solution and it is now ready to go to market. It is going to be a tough road because incumbents will push back. But there are many other sub-sectors who are showing interest, and they will open the doors for us, and finally the market will open as these incumbents experience a decline in sales and margins. It is not an overnight blitzkrieg, but a long slow battle that will be won by those who make a tangible and positive difference.