Urine separation means that:
Worth knowing! From a traditional water closet sewage, we can retrieve ca 98% of the nitrogen, 68% of the phosphorous and 85% of the potassium in the urine. The nutritives are in the perfect composition to be taken up by plants.
By separating the urine from the faeces we can obtain a nutritious fertilizer and protect the groundwater, lakes, and sea from over-fertilization. Over-fertilization leads to increased growth of algae that in turn may lead to lack of oxygen, causing the seabed fauna to die and the fish to leave.
Spreading the urine on farmlands also reduces the need for artificial fertilizers. Production of artificial fertilizers is energy-consuming, and can also give rise to high levels of cadmium in the soil, that gets absorbed by the crops. Worth knowing! It takes 500 litres of oil to produce the same amount of nutritive substances that 10 households produce (contained in urine och fæces) during 1 year!!! Urine separating toilets also contribute to reduced water consumption. In coastal districts, access to drinking water of good quality can be a problem due to the intrusion of salt water. Salt water intrusion often occurs when there is an excessive extraction of water in an area. Urine separation in the Municipality of TanumTanum has developed a Water and sewage policy that was adopted by the municipal council on 2002-01-28. The policy is for politicians and civil servants when engaged in:
Under the policy, one of the most important questions in local planning is that of how the water supply and sewage system will operate in the planned area. Often it requires a separate investigation as part of the planning work. With all new local planning within the municipality, there will be the requirement for urine separation in new buildings, and also with extensive alteration of existing buildings. Under the policy, for sewage systems outside the planning area there will still be a requirement for urine separation, and for the remainder to go to a separate or common sewage system. An alternative is a completely dry solution for both urine and faeces. Another alternative can be one of urine separation, with the remainder being connected to the municipal sewage treatment plant, via what is known as a Fåraby contract with the Technical Dept. Such contracts are restricted. How does it work?Urine separating toilets differ from standard toilets in that they have a bowl in the front for urine, with the faeces going to the rear. The forward bowl varies in size and style according to the model. In the majority, the forward bowl is flushed to a storage tank using just a small quantity of water. The faeces are either flushed to a sewage treatment system or are composted with no contact with water at all. Examples of toilet solutionsSingle flush separation toilet When the container is full it is replaced with an empty one. The full container is then fitted with a tight-fitting lid and will stand for the next six months, which should include the summer months, in order get sufficient reduction of bacteria and viruses. After six months the fæces can then be put into the garden compost for further composting, and can then be used for soil improvement in the garden. Double flushing separation toilet Since this method involves the release of faeces water into the soil it can only be accepted in low populated areas. In more populated areas (recreational planning areas and such) the release of faeces water often carries the risk of pollution of drinking water catchments and ground water. Composting toilets with urine separation Ventilation Problems that can be solvedThe most common problem with urine separating toilets is stoppage in the trap of the urine piping. Most stoppages are due to hair and paper fibres, and can be cleared using a clearing wire. Crystals can also cause a stoppage, and can effectively be cleared using caustic soda (NaOH). Prior to this, however, the use of 70-80º water should be tried. Furthermore, citric acid can replace caustic soda. In general, stoppage elsewhere can be avoided if there is at least a 1% fall in the piping, and a diameter greater than 50 mm. Storing and sanitation of the urineA urine mixture is basic and has pH value of about 9. The higher the pH value and temperature, the quicker is the sanitation process. After a six-month storage at 20º, the urine can be used as a fertilizer on all crops, including raw, as long as there is at least a month between spreading and harvesting, and that the urine has been harrowed in. If the urine tank is underground, the storage temperature is about 4-5ºC, and the bacteria killing process is less effective. Caution should therefore be exercised when spreading urine from ´cold storage´. Spreading the urineIn the Municipality of Tanum there are six farmers who collect urine for spreading on farmlands. To ensure that tank-emptying is kept to once a year, the tank should have a volume of at least 2 m³. Emptying the tank and spreading the urine on one´s own land is permitted by the Environment Department only after application and on condition the following requirements are met:
|
