How dry toilets can both reduce use of chemicals and contamination of drink water sources
Impression of an ecosan toilet workshop in Macedonia
05.07.2016 |
Ecological sanitation, like Urine Diverting Dry Toilets (UDDTs), implemented by WECF and partners, have advantages in areas where there are shortages of water and no wastewater systems.
Compared to pit latrines, commonly used in those areas, they do not smell, do not pollute the soil and water resources. And they offer useful products - urine that is rich in nutrients that can be used as fertilizer and faecal compost which can be used as soil conditioner.
The construction of the first urine diverting dry toilet (UDDT or Ecosan) in Macedonia started on May 26th in the village Jabolci. The construction process, with expert support of Sergiu Andreev from WiSDOM Moldova, was preceded by a workshop attended by guests from Germany, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and local stakeholders.
The workshop was held at the Sopiste municipality, within the project "Dry toilets-reducing chemicals and contamination of sources of drinking water in rural areas in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania". The project is being implemented in Macedonia by NGO Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), together with WECF and the partner organisations Women in Development from Albania and Eco-Forum Zenica from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Its goal is to promote prevention of environmental pollution by using non-chemical alternatives and implementation of ecological and affordable sanitation and introduce the use and benefits of urine diverting dry toilets (UDDT or ecosan), production of organic fertilizers, composting, and grey water treatment. Water and sanitation expert Claudia Wendland gave in introducuction covering overall environmental challenges of soil degradation and sanitation crisis world wide.
The ecosan toilet in Jabolce is the first of its kind in Macedonia and is within the Centre for Ecology and renewable energy of the NGO Journalists for human rights.
Sergiu Andreev from WiSDOM, showed examples from different types of Ecosan toilets according to the needs of their application.
The head of the municipality Stefce Trpkovski and Professor Kocubovski, Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Macedonia welcome the project. “Ecosan toilets are a suitable sanitation solution for small and remote villages in Macedonia,” underlines Natasa Dokovska, JHR.
Related materials for download:
- Manual for construction and operation of Ecosan toilets: http://www.wecf.eu/download/2015/November/Web_2015UDDTManual.pdf
- Flyer Yellow Gold. http://www.wecf.eu/download/2010/08/frWEB_WECF_Urine_Flyer_25August.pdf
- Flyer Black Gold: http://www.wecf.eu/english/publications/2010/compost-flyer.php
- WHO guidelines on the safe use of human excreta: http://www.wecf.eu/english/publications/2008/who-guide.php
The agenda for the meeting can be found here
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