please see my answer in
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/17-fer...sion-or-no-diversion

Dear Sanitation Experts,

my name is Georg and I am very interested in Terra Preta Sanitation (TPS). A good overview about the system can be found here .

I am trying to model a suitable, exemplary TPS system for a community (urban area) of 20000 inhabitants, which means a municipal collection and treatment of excreta should be possible.

While most researchers agree that charcoal is necessary for the formation of Terra Preta, still many open questions remain in my mind and I would like to share them with you. I hope the SUSANA community will be able to shed light on this issue.

Question 2 can be discussed here. For the discussion of questions 1 and 3 please follow the links below.

1. URINE DIVERSION OR NO DIVERSION?
2. LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION (LAF) OR SIMPLE COLLECTION (SC)?
3. VERMICOMPOSTING (VC) OR THERMOPHILIC COMPOSTING (TC)?

2. LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION (LAF) OR SIMPLE COLLECTION (SC)?

	most TPS experts propose LAF	I propose: simple storage without LAF
pro	- odour prevention [FACTURA ET AL. 2010] - no loss of nitrogen - increase of microorganisms (more food for earthworms) - disinfection, also inactivates helminth eggs [ SCHEINEMANN & KRÜGER 2010 ; ITCHON ET AL. 2012]	- no odour if enough cover material is used [JENKINS 2005] - system is easier to manage, less prone to “errors” (- if LAF is necessary for forming TP, it can be done after collection by the municipality
contra	- LAF-inoculum is needed -> more complexity - sugar additive is needed to start the process [FACTURA ET AL. 2010] - air tight lid is necessary	- loss of nutrients? - maybe LAF is necessary to get TP-like substrate? - less microorganisms as food for earthworms for vermicomposting?

What do you think is the most suitable TPS system for a 20.000 people urban community? Any experiences concerning the points with question marks?