This is an advocacy presentation prepared from the research conducted on Ecological Sanitation and its benefits to agriculture by University of Agricultural Sciences in collaboration with Arghyam foundation.

1. ECOSAN
A value proposition not to be flushed!
a primer on ecological sanitation
WHAT

2. In a ‘flush and forget’ world, talking
sanitation is not quite easy!

3. 5
MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
IN SANITATION
BIG PICTURE
Access
Quality
Water use
Innovation
Sustainability of current
sanitation system
SANITATION

4. 1
5
MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
IN SANITATION
SANITATION
Access
India is still far from universal access to clean sanitation
Only 34% of the population has access to improved sanitation nationally
BIG PICTURE
626 million of population still practices open defecation in India

5. 5
MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
IN SANITATION
SANITATION
2
Quality
Poor sanitation has tremendous impact on quality of water
BIG PICTURE
0.35 Million children die from water-related diseases annually

6. 5
MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
IN SANITATION
SANITATION
3
Water use
Water Use: The current form of sanitation is water intensive
23% of the population have access to household connections
nationally
BIG PICTURE
With increasing water scarcity, sanitation's water demand has
become difficult to meet

7. 5
MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
IN SANITATION
SANITATION
4
Innovation
Research on alternative sanitation systems is completely absent
BIG PICTURE
A paradigm shift in approach to sanitation is required.

8. 5
MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
IN SANITATION
5
Sustainability of current
sanitation system
Waste disposal in the conventional system puts enormous stress on
carrying capacity of the soil
BIG PICTURE
Dependence of current septic tank/pit based toilets on water and
availability of land limits its use in high population density areas

9. A sanitation re-think is called for if we are to improve
sanitation in the next decade!
Conventional Toilet
Soil
Water Resources

10. Paradigm Shift

11. … from ‘flush and forget’ to ‘collect and reuse’
Ecosan Toilet
Soil

12. Is there a system that can address the road blocks by:
Environment
Sustainability
minimizing freshwater consumption
reduction of water pollution
efficiently managing solid waste
making waste recycling a value proposition
APPROACH
Water
closing the ecological loop
containing the waste generated at its point of origin

13. ECOLOGICALSANITATION
can address these
roadblocks
A possible alternative to sanitation's ‘flush
and forget’ problem
ECOLOGICAL SANITATION
also potentially address
NUTRITION
It is an approach to sanitation where human waste is
seen as a reusable nutrient source, which must be
returned to the soil thereby “closing the ecological
nutrient cycle” (soil nutrient to food production to
food consumption to soil nutrient).

14. ECOLOGICALSANITATION
Design Innovation
can address these
roadblocks
Academic Research
also potentially address
NUTRITION

15. Design Innovation
ECOLOGICALSANITATION
Can address these
roadblocks
Wash area
Hole for
defecation
Pan for urination
10’ 1’6
’ ’’
4
’’
1’4
’’
4’2’
10’
’
1’2
’’
’
6’0’’
Door
2’8’’
Ground level
Based on region, availability of resources, time and
budget a definite design can be selected for building an
ecosan toilet
3’6’’
3’
6’4’’
A typical single seat ecosan toilet can be constructed
for as low as Rs. 5000

16. ECOLOGICALSANITATION
The Process
can address these
roadblocks
1. Appearance of a
typical ecosan toilet.
2. Urine is collected
in the middle basin.
A pipe leads it to a
container outside.
Conversion from waste to wealth
3. Fecal matter is
deposited in the storage
compartment.
4. A handful of ash,
dried leaves,
sawdust or grain
husk is spread over
it and covered with
lid.
5. Washing is done in
the wash area. The
water collects outside
through a pipe.
6. Second chamber is
used when first fills up.
During this time the solid
waste in the first
chamber decomposes
into manure.

17. ECOLOGICALSANITATION
Using the manure
can address these
roadblocks
+ =
Urine
Wate
r
Collected urine is
diluted with water
(1:1) and used after
storing for 2-4
weeks. Urine and
water mixture is
applied to plants in
regulated quantity.
Decomposition of
solid waste into
manure takes 8-12
months. After this it is
applied/added to the
soil as such.

18. Our field experiments in DESIGN
Bihar
Flood prone
6 toilets
Gujarat
Coastal region
20 toilets
Manipur
Prevent water contamination
20 toilets
Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh
Water Scarcity
20 toilets
Kolar & Mysore,, Karnataka
Hard rock and water scarce area
204 toilets in 4 villages

19. Academic Research
RESEARCH
also potentially address
NUTRITION
Collaboration with UAS, Bangalore to conduct
research in nutritional value of human waste
beginning with human urine.

20. Instances of Urine used as fertilizer
12th Century
CHINA
ALW integrated
Ecosan projects
Recycled ALW for
farming
1990s
SOUTH AFRICA
2003
INDIA
Compost latrines
and ALW diverting
system introduced
ALW used as fertilizer
for potatoes and
chillies in Manipur
12th Century
JAPAN
Recycled ALW for
farming
18th Century
NEPAL
ALW used for
growing fodder crops
RESEARCH
2003
NETHERLANDS

21. Scientific studies on human urine
Application of ALW*
as a nutrient source
has a positive
impact on soil
properties and crop
growth.
Test
Tested on
Observe
Inference
•Changes in soil
parameters
with
varying
ALW
concentrations.
•Comparative study of
maize & banana crop
growth with varying
treatment
with
fertilizer , ALW &
different
ALW
combinations.
A combination of
ALW + gypsum
gives crop growth
results at par
(partially
higher)
with recommended
dose of fertilizer.
•Pot experiment with
radish plants.
*ALW - Anthropogenic Liquid Waste (Urine)
RESEARCH
Hypothesis

22. Urine in numbers
1.37 liters/day
500 liters /year
NPK consumption in
Agriculture in India
generated in a year
1 Billion
kg
N
kg
P
kg
K
N-Nitrogen | P- Phosphorus | K-Potassium
million tons
million tons
million tons
*WASTED
N
P
K
million tons
million tons
million tons
**REQUIRED
RESEARCH
ALW

23. Inference
Experiment on soil
1.
Application of ALW
+
Soil
ALW
Water
F
Fertiliser
G
Urea
RD
N
8
G
in splits
in splits
G
2. Highest content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
exchangeable calcium, magnesium and microU U U G
nutrients in soil was recorded in plots treated with
recommended doses of nitrogen through human urine
along with gypsum in three split doses.
3. The highest total soluble solids were recorded when both laterite and red
soil were applied with twice the recommended dose of N through human
urine.
U
U
U
Gypsum
U
RDN supplied by
ALW
Recommend
ed dose of
nitrogen
RESEARCH
F
Plots treated with only human or cattle urine have
shown higher pH level in soil when compared to plots
treated with FYM. However, plots treated with
human/cattle urine and gypsum have similar pH level
as plots treted with FYM. Similar observation has been
made in electrical conductivity of soil.
4. Soil microbes like soil fungi, bacterial, actinomycetes, N-fixers
and P-solublizer population is found higher in soil treated with two
doses of urine and least in soil treated with chemical fertilisers.

24. Inference
Experiments with crops
Best results are observed in vine length, leaf
area index, number of branches, leaves per
plant of most of the study plants, with
application of human urine with gypsum in 3
split doses.
2. Human urine applied with gypsum in 3 splits
to Ashgourd, French beans, pole beans and
pumpkin has given better yield in comparison
with chemical fertilizer/ FYM,/cattle urine
applied singly or in different combinations.
3. Content of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus,
calcium, magnesium, copper and manganese
is higher in fruit (Ashgourd, french beans,
pole beans and pumpkin) harvested from the
plot treated with recommended dose of
human urine in combination with gypsum
supplied in three split doses.
9
RESEARCH
1.

25. What did we find?
ALW
G in splits
on
Crops and Soil
2. Builds higher nutrient
content and mass in
the grain/fruit/root of
the respective crops.
3. Cost- Benefit ratio
marginally better than
chemical fertilizer
RESEARCH
1. Shows healthier crop
growth

26. What did we find?
EFFECT ON COB
SIZE
EFFECT ON
YIELD/HA
40
35.58
24.92
25
30.55
30
30
28.41
30
43.36
20
25.66
19.93
15
20
10
10
5
0
Control(T1)
Fertilizer(T2)
ALW(T3)
ALW in 6 split
irrigations +
gypsum(T6)
CULTIVATION
ECONOMICS (C:B)
0
Control(T1)
Fertilizer(T2)
ALW(T3)
ALW in 6 split
irrigations +
gypsum(T6)
CULTIVATION
ECONOMICS (C:B)
ALW in 6 split
irrigations …
ALW in 6 split
irrigations + …
ALW(T3)
ALW(T3)
Fertilizer(T2)
Fertilizer(T2)
Control(T1)
Control(T1)
0%
20%
40%
Cost
CORN
60%
80%
100%
0%
20%
40%
Cost
Benefit
BANANA
60%
Benefit
80%
100%
RESEARCH
35
50

27. In a ‘flush and forget’ world, talking
sanitation is not quite easy!

28. FUTURE
We know that acceptance won’t be easy.
Intensive behaviour-change-communication
will be necessary for widespread adoption

29. FUTURE
This is a small but important part of the
overall solution.
We feel this story should be told now!

30. FUTURE
What will Arghyam do ?
What can the government do ?
•Continue the research, take research
results to trial in pilot implementations
•Facilitate the ongoing research and provide design
inputs (ICAR institutions, NID etc.)
•Continue funding ecosan toilets
•Promote and support this approach (KVKs,
women’s groups, media)
•Explore how this can be implemented in
small municipal settings through our
urban projects
•Integrate this knowledge into water and sewerage
planning, pollution control planning, seed
distribution