Good day all
I have a couple of questions regarding the sanitation solutions currently considered, developed, bought, exhibited for the South African Water and Sanitation challenges.
1. Where can we find information (within the South Africa structure) regarding alternative solutions to water based flush systems?
2. Where do these exhibitions taking place?
3. For which Government Department, community, area etc. are these sanitation systems developed, designed or manufactured for? Why will the seemingly complex units be sent to the Eastern Cape and not one of the cities with a peri-urban sanitation crisis?
4. I agree with Elisabeth - more information on the "new" technology is needed.
Suggestion: Can we develop a South African/ Sub-Saharan Forum where all existing waterless sanitation products and services are featured and discussed.

Dear Sudhir,

Thanks for this little update about the Caltech toilet units as part of the South African Sanitation Technology Demonstration Programme (SASTEP) . Please keep these updates coming, even if it is "just" some photos (often easier to digest than a big final report anyhow!).

Just wondering if there are handwashing sinks in the cubicles, and if not, where are they?

For anyone wishing to find out more about the technology behind the Caltech toilets, please see here in the SuSanA project database:
www.susana.org/en/resources/projects/details/57

It's called a "Solar-powered electrochemical wastewater treatment system with recycle of the treated water back into the toilet flushing system"

Regards,
Elisabeth

The first Caltech units were inspected before delivery to South Africa as part of the SASTEP Programme. Two of the units will be initially shipped where they will undergo testing in the STeP (stepsforsanitation.org/) Programme under controlled conditions in eThekwini Municipality before being moved to its final destination in rural Eastern Cape.

The units have both pedestals and urinals, and are separated according to sex.

Please see photos attached.

Well the demo is super.

I have been working around a similar concept but this one include both the superstructure and the semi-attached slab to facilitate emptying. However funds limit has been the main constraint. I will be able to share a full design once I finalise it

Hello Strwart,

Do you have any written documents, results, learned lessons from the technology you can share now?

Warm regards
Nyamiye Hermenegilde

Dr Chuck Henry and Dr Ed Kellogg recently visited the implementation sites of the EarthAuger demonstration in Ida, South Africa.

To learn their thoughts on the visit, please visit a new thread Ed has established, which contains a trip report detailing their trip and observations:
Dr Edwin Kellogg's Trip Report

Should you also wish to visit any WRC demonstration sites to form an opinion on the functionality of a technology in the field, such as an EarthAuger, please feel free to get in touch.

Our project has been going on since two years and has another two years to go, so I think this is a good moment to provide this formal introduction and update for it:

Title of grant: South African Sanitation Technology Demonstration Programme (SASTEP) – Reinvented Toilet Technology Demonstration and Roadmap to Commercialization

Name of lead organization: Water research commission (WRC); Department of Science and Technology (South Africa) (WRC is the lead organization in this case although our official designation in the project is ‘implementing agent’, and the project is a partnership between WRC, DST and BMGF)

• Primary contact at lead organization: Jay Bhagwan / Stuart Woolley
• Grantee location: Pretoria, South Africa
• Developing country where the research is being tested: South Africa
• Start and end date: 25 Nov 2014 to 30 Nov 2018
• Grant type: Other
• Grant size in USD: From the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: 1 million USD (as per grant database: www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quic...s/2014/11/OPP1116992) plus funding by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST): The DST has committed ZAR 30 million (~US$ 3.0 million) over two years to fund the implementation and field-testing of innovative sanitation technologies and approaches in South Africa.

Goals:

(i) To test the latest in cutting-edge non-sewered sanitation technologies that eliminate faecal sludges and promote resource efficiency; ii) Assess and evaluate for feasibility of widespread use and commercialisation in South Africa; iii) Provide safe and adequate sanitation facilities, particularly in undeveloped rural areas which lack infrastructure.


Objectives of SASTEP:

i) Demonstrate technologies in phases; ii) Provide hard evidence on performance; iii) Provide hard evidence on impact; iv) Iterative feedback to technology developers; v) Catalyse and orient sanitation industry towards water saving and beneficiation systems.

Objectives of the RTTC (Reinvent the Toilet Challenge of the Gates Foundation):

• Disinfect human waste • Recover resources from human waste • Less than US$ 5 cents per user per day • ‘Off the grid’ • Self sufficient
For details see: www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1636


Short description of the project:

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) South Africa and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) recently announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – “Partnership in the Demonstration of Sanitation Solutions in Rural and Peri-Urban South Africa” at The Reinvent the Toilet Challenge Fair in Delhi, India. The MoU outlines the cooperation between the two organisations towards achieving sanitation delivery through the implementation / application of innovative sanitation solutions.

The DST has committed ZAR 30 million (~US$ 3.0 million) over two years to fund the implementation and field-testing of innovative sanitation technologies and approaches in South Africa. The technologies to be demonstrated were developed through the BMGF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH) programme, in particular, those from the BMGF’s Reinvent the Toilet Challenge. The BMFG WSH programme is contributing US$1 million to support the testing of technologies selected. The lessons learnt through the demonstration of these solutions will be shared with the global community.

The South African Water Research Commission (WRC) will serve as the implementing agent for the demonstration programme. Enquiries of interest are welcomed to potential BMGF grantees who feel that their technologies are ready for demonstration.

Two technologies from the RTTC have been confirmed for installation in 2016:

1. Caltech: Self-contained, PV-powered domestic toilet and wastewater treatment system (forum.susana.org/forum/categories/105-pr...te-of-technology-usa)

2. Critical Practices: EarthAuger urine-diverting dry toilet (UDDT), see here on the Forum: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/34-uri...-and-other-countries. Two-hundred units have been delivered to South Africa and will be ready for use by mid-2016.

Previous discussion on forum about EarthAuger toilet in Ecuador: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/106-us...on-in-terris-ecuador


SASTEP is not limited to these two technologies, as SASTEP aims to demonstrate up to five technologies over the duration of the programme. RTTC innovators* who have a near-final product or processing unit (back-end treatment system) are welcome to contact Mr.Stuart Woolley.


Research or implementation partners: The organizations whose technologies were selected for demonstration

Links, further readings – results to date:

• Documents in SuSanA library (contains presentation from February 2015 so far):
• www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2201

Current state of affairs:

The first technology to be demonstrated is the EarthAuger. 200 EarthAuger unitswere in South Africa and and transported to the a rural municipality where the demonstrations are taking place. SASTEP is engaging in community work in order to ensure the acceptance of the technology to aid the success of the demonstration programme.
After the initial demonstration of a few months, we'll see if the units need any further development or if they're suitable to proceed to a more widespread demonstration in other rural areas that don't have experience with similar programmes.

For technologies where the demonstrations are successful (w.r.t. performance, user acceptance and suitability) we will begin a process of developing a strategy for commercialisation, localisation of manufacturing, and otherwise stimulate the local private sectors for uptake of these technologies.


Biggest successes so far:

Mobilising rural communities to accept and support the demonstration programme, achieved through rigorous social interaction and facilitation.


Main challenges / frustration:

Importing of new technologies for demonstration which are not classifiable by national bureaus of customs and excise.


* "RTTC innovators" is defined here specifically as those developers that were a part of the original BMGF Reinvent the Toilet Challenge. Technology developers of similar technologies would be able to negotiate with us directly for opportunites to demonstrate under other programmes with other sources of funding.


Regards,
Stuart

PROJECT UPDATE:


200 EarthAugers have been assembled and are ready for new homes in Ida, Easter Cape. (Pic attached)

Most of the EarthAuger superstructures have been installed, with the EarthAuger units themselves now being installed into the superstructures. One owner has become quite attached to the unit before the toilet has arrived, personalising it with a different coat of paint. (pics attached).

The SASTEP EarthAuger implementation is well underway, and more than half of the 200 units are now on the ground!

The superstructure used in this demonstration is a prefabricated concrete superstructure, developed by Rocla, and takes approximately 20 minutes to erect.

Dr Chuck Henry and myself were documenting the implementation, and will have several videos demonstrating how accessible this dignified sanitation solution is to implement in rural areas. However, a rough video on the installation of the superstructure is already available:

Dr. Chuck Henry, the developer of the Earth Auger, also discusses the unit here:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories?func=v...409&limit=1000#18162

Update: The first units of the Earth Auger implemented in SASTEP Programme. Prefab units can be installed in under 30 min. Please see attachments.

Hi Sarah,

My apologies for the delay in response, I was waiting till we had an exciting update to share. Currently we're at an exciting stage where there are some developments in progress.

The first shipment of units for demonstration units is in South Africa and is currently being transported to the rural municipality where the demonstrations are taking place. We're also currently covering all our bases and engaging in community work so we can hit the ground running in Feb 2016.

We'll have a proper update to share soon once things are finalised.

Are any other ‘real-world’ tests planned in different rural communities without such experience with new technologies, and how do things progress after the demonstration steps if they are successful?

Yes, after the initial demonstration of a few months, we'll see if the units need any further development or if they're suitable to proceed to a more widespread demonstration in other rural areas that don't have experience with similar programmes.

For technologies where the demonstrations are successful (w.r.t. performance, user acceptance and suitability) we will begin a process of developing a strategy for commercialisation, localisation of manufacturing, and otherwise stimulate the local private sectors for uptake of these technologies.

Thanks for your interest!

Stuart

Hi Stuart,
The SASTEP program sounds very interesting, and I was wondering if there is any information yet on the progress of the demonstration or what was chosen as the focus.

I noticed that you discussed what sounds like a very unique testing environment - difficult-to-access rural areas where communities have a range of previous experience with innovative technologies. Are any other ‘real-world’ tests planned in different rural communities without such experience with new technologies, and how do things progress after the demonstration steps if they are successful?

Thanks in advance and best regards,
Sarah