World Toilet Day 2018 on November 19th was all about necessary action to be taken, to ensure a safe toilet for everyone around the globe by 2030. IHE Delft is working closely together with partners around the world to make this happen. In close collaboration with IHE, we developed the eSOS (emergency Sanitation Operating System), the first truly smart toilet. IHE proudly revealed our latest prototype on World Toilet Day 2018, which will be tested in Nairobi, Kenya within short.
Today 4.5 billion people live without a safe toilet and 892 million people practice open defecation. In disaster areas and refugee camps sanitation is a real problem. We developed the eSOS (emergency Sanitation Operating System), a connected solution for sanitation in emergency response situations under extremely harsh conditions. It provides basic hygiene to those needing it the most and at the same time collects essential data as indicators for all kinds of health issues.
Of course, there is no sewage in these situations, so sanitation depends on the use of latrines. These latrines depend greatly on emptying and cleaning on a very regular basis. Once tanks are full, they must be emptied and cleaned to maintain an acceptable level of hygiene. Our smart toilet monitors the filling level and optimizes the efficiency of cleaning and emptying. It also predicts the amount of energy, fertilizer, and water that can be regained from waste streams.
At the same time the data collected from the waste streams (urine and fecal waste) can be analyzed. We can learn things that relate to a more effective supply of food and drinking water. It may give insights in a potential threat of diarrhea and possibly the need for medical supplies.
The toilets are easily deployable in disaster areas because of their robust and light-weight specifications. They improve the quality of life of those in need in emergency situations and minimize the threat to the public health of these vulnerable people. The second prototype will be on its way to Kenya within short and will be used to get specific feedback for further optimization.
