Introducing the UTS Funny Dunny Trial

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THINK. CHANGE. DO

Introducing the UTS Funny Dunny Trial Cynthia
Mitchell Professor of Sustainability
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Take home messages

1. To meet our basic food needs, we have to begin
   the shift to phosphorus recovery and reuse
2. Urine diverting toilets (UDTs) are one of several
   feasible paths
3. To get it right, we have much work to do and UTS
   is making a pretty bold start.
4. The scope for UDTs is global, so theres plenty
   of early mover benefits

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Introducing the Institute for Sustainable Futures
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A better representation of ISFs values?
Its all about lining up short term actions with
preferred long term outcomes in ways that enable
transitions for people and organisations
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The water industry is on the verge of a new path
The new path requires new technologies, and it
starts with plumbing products
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Peak phosphorus (P) a looming crisis

• Phosphorus is vital for all life on earth no
  substitute!
• Growing population, changing diets
• Peak phosphorus production very soon
• Political / ethical concerns may make it even
  sooner

Cordell, Drangert White (2009) The story of
phosphorus and food for thought Global
Environmental Change, doi10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2008
.10.009
Guess what is full of P(ee)?
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Supply sources and quantities are strictly
limited, so demand measures are critical and large
Cordell, D., White, S., Drangert, J.-O. Neset,
T. S. S. (2009), Preferred future phosphorus
scenarios A framework for meeting long-term
phosphorus needs for global food demand,
International Conference on Nutrient Recovery
from Wastewater Streams Vancouver, 2009., (Ed) D
Mavinic, K Ashley and F Koch. ISBN
9781843392323. IWA Publishing
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3 broad categories for phosphorus recovery from
sewage are in development and use now

• Direct reuse 1
• Thermodynamically best
• Requires biggest system shifts
• Chemical precipitation
• Can be done at treatment plant
• Concentrates heavy metals, costly
• Ash thru sludge incineration
• Netherlands 1.4 million people 2

Life cycle thinking needs to guide decision making

1. See www.novaquatis.eawag.ch/
2. See www.phosphaterecovery.com

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Whos doing UDTs internationally? Sweden,
Germany, the Netherlands, USA, China, etc
Gothenburg, Sweden
Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Sciences
Technology, Switzerland
Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design
Construction, Seattle CBD, USA
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UDTs in Australia are full of firsts and are at
the start of a steep learning curve

• 1st high profile installation Currumbin
  Ecovillage, Qld
• 20 households
• Personal commitment accept deficiencies
• 1st authority led, residential installation
  Kinglake, Vic
• 38 households, post bushfire reconstruction,
  peri-urban fringe
• 1st public institution installation downtown
  Sydney!!

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This project will touch on elements of all the
very real, very tricky issues with UDTs

• Technology the toilets themselves, pipework,
  storage, transport, impacts on sewer and
  treatment,
• Behaviours men sit down, womens paper, other
  things that end up in toilets, cleaners,
• Institutions and regulations P ownership,
  operation (water authority or other), public
  health,

There is also no end of opportunities for toilet
humouraka Funny Dunnies, Taking the Piss, etc,
etc
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We put a lot of effort into setting up the
collaboration to bring everybody inside the tent

• Industry and Government
• Water authority
• Toilet manufacturer
• Local government
• Health department
• Nursery and Garden Industry Association

• Specialist Researchers
• University of Technology Sydney ISF,
  Engineering, Design, Visual Communication,
  Project Management
• University of New South Wales Law
• University of Western Sydney Agriculture, Visual
  Communication

• UTS Operations
• Vice President, Resources
• Facilities Management Unit
• Research Office

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This project will roll out in 3 stages over 2
years
We expect many spin-off projects along the way
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We will install and test the latest Australian
and international models of UDTs and waterless
urinals
Wostman
Dubbletten
Roediger
Caroma Dorf
Uridan
Keramag
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We will also trial and create new resources for
stakeholder engagement.
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We need to investigate storage and transport
Docking station for urine tankers
Level indicator for urine
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By the end of this project, we hope to have
started something in many domains

• Improved public awareness about phosphorus
  recovery
• BEGUN YELLOW PLUMBER TRAINING
• ENCOURAGED DESIGNERS TO CREATE SECOND GENERATION
  TECHNOLOGIES AND COMPONENTS
• IDENTIFIED NEW REGULATORY/CODE ETC NEEDS
• Raised water industry awareness about its
  opportunities and responsibilities
• Created better stakeholder engagement tools
• Allayed concerns about public health issues
• Demonstrated to industry the efficacy of urine as
  a fertiliser

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Take home messages

1. To meet our basic food needs, we have to begin
   the shift to phosphorus recovery and reuse
2. Urine diverting toilets (UDTs) are one of several
   feasible paths
3. To get it right, we have much work to do, and UTS
   is making a bold start
4. The scope for UDTs is global, so theres plenty
   of first mover benefits

It aint rocket science, but it is
different And, we could be sitting on a gold mine
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Acknowledgements and Contact Details

• ISF colleagues Dena Fam, Kumi Abeysuriya, Dana
  Cordell
• UTS, UWS, and UNSW colleagues
• Our many project partners

Cynthia Mitchell Institute for Sustainable
Futures, UTS P 02 9514 4953 E
cynthia.mitchell_at_uts.edu.au W www.isf.uts.edu.au