On-site ’07 Armidale Beal et al. 1 CLOSING THE NUTRIENT LOOP: A URINE-SEPARATION AND REUSE TRIAL IN THE CURRUMBIN ECOVILLAGE, QLD

Urine-separating toilets (UST) have been used as an effective means of separating the urine from faeces in many parts of Europe for years, but are yet to be adopted as a viable technology in Australia. The purpose of UST is to separate nutrients (N, P, K) at the source. Although up to about 80 % of N, 50 % of P and 60 % of K are contained in urine, its volumetric fraction of total wastewater flow is only around 1%. By first separating the urine, many nutrients can be captured and reused without intensive, expensive and time-consuming treatment required when urine is combined with faeces. Urine can be reused as a concentrated fertiliser with only limited treatment prior to land application. The aims of this paper are to report on the use of UST technologies in Europe and to describe the initial stages of a urine diversion and reuse demonstration project at a high-profile Ecovillage under construction in Currumbin, southeast Queensland