The adventures of the no-mix vacuum toilet around the world

Improper provision of sanitation and treatment facilities is one of the main causes of many disease-related deaths worldwide. In addition to the absence of sanitation facilities, the practice of open defecation and the irresponsible discharge of wastewater into water bodies are important factors in understanding the severity of unsanitary conditions. The toilet is a sanitation fixture commonly found in household and public areas, where different systems can be adopted to convey human wastes to a wastewater treatment unit. When combined with a decentralized treatment system, the No-Mix Vacuum (NMV) toilet is a sustainable sanitation fixture; the NMV toilet has three advantages compared to a conventional toilet fixture: 1) it saves up to 90% of flush water 2) it allows the reclamation of nutrients and 3) it recovers energy. The 2 objectives of the report are to first investigate the public’s acceptance of such systems compared to the conventional toilet system, and secondly to evaluate the applicability and replicability of the NMV toilet in several mock scenarios such as permanent and temporary installations within parks, eco-cities and emergency situations. A questionnaire was conducted to collect results to substantiate the first investigation; this led to recommendations of the improvements to the design of the NMV toilet. The case studies also utilized the concept of decentralization as a more sustainable alternative to conventional centralized treatment units, especially within the context of local off-grid applications.Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering