Treatment Technology at the Resource Recovery Plant

On a conceptual level, we developed a method capable of selecting adequate treatment technology combinations for separated urine and faeces that can be operated in a Resource Recovery Plant (RRP).

We first identified viable urine and faeces treatment combinations that meet the treatment requirements stipulated in the "Reinvent the Toilet" call (drinking water quality for liquid by-products and solid organic matter only in stabilised form) (shaded in grey in the following graph).

As regards the selection of technologies, total costs and the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) are also decisive factors. We developed an Excel tool allowing to compare key figures of different treatment technologies (see graphic example below).

For urine treatment, we suggest partial nitrification with distillation, as the Vuna project team will offer a suitable TRL 7 technology by December 2013. For faeces, the best technology still remains to be chosen. 

Further information: Poster "Resource Recovery Plant" at the "Reinvent the Toilet Fair", Seattle, August  2012 [pdf]