Survey in Suderburg

Conclusion

• SIRDO in Suderbug demonstrated that composting toilet is an odourless and cheap alternative, easy to handle and which produces a biofertilizer free of pathogens.
• SIRDO also demonstrated that alternative technologies are not well known and not easily accepted despite their environmental and health benefits.
• The composting toilet is a system that is well-suited at any place in the world as long as the conditions are optimum.
• The use of composting toilets is related principally with environmental awareness and socio-cultural influences instead of economical reasons.

Recommendations

• The education and training of people about alternative sanitation concepts has to be increased.
  
  • Professionals in water, waste and wastewater management have the responsibility to develop and support sustainable sanitation projects.
• It is important to develop policies, regulations, institutional capacities to support alternative sanitation systems.
• Direct investment in alternative sanitation services should be encouraged in both the public and private sectors.

"The disadvantages of the current waste water concepts for both, centralised and decentralised systems will prevail as long as domestic wastewater and feces are mixed together. For this reason it is important to find new concepts that allow the reuse of wastewater resources, such as nutrients and organic matter. This should include separation of the constituents at their origin."

Jutta Niederste-Hollenberg & Ralf Otterpohl; Hamburg, 2000

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