[Sdpg] Composting Toilets – Inner City Apartment Style Australia

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

Composting Toilets – Inner City Apartment 
Style  http://www.ghd.com.au/compostloo

A new approach to water saving: GHD is researching a demonstration project 
with modern composting toilets in 12 inner city apartments at a landmark 
site to be redeveloped in Melbourne.

The Smart Water Fund and the Project Team – GHD, Bensons Property Group, 
Demaine Partnership (architects) and Environment Equipment (Rota-Loo®) – 
are jointly funding the project. The feasibility study report has now been 
finalised and is now available – download a copy of the executive summary 
or the full report.

Benefits of this initiative
Driving Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) – first high density 
application in Australia
Changing public perception – educating and transforming the marketplace
Data collection – helping fill the knowledge gaps

Challenges
Compost toilet system design – minimise additional costs and disruption to 
occupants while providing functionality, ensuring ventilation and odour 
control, suitability for accommodating an upstairs en suite bathroom, ease 
of maintenance and measuring in and outflows of water and waste
Trial reuse application – approvals, monitoring program development, reuse 
area for sustainable application of waste (remote sites required for high 
density living)
Marketing strategy – creating acceptability, addressing consumer 
perceptions (eg waterless concept)
Transportation – pick up and relocation of three waste streams: compost, 
urine and leachate without interruption to residents
Regulations and approvals, for planning, transportation, onsite monitoring, 
reuse trials to allow review of the current protocols
Addressing health risks – both onsite and at the reuse site
Responsibilities between users, maintenance, transportation and body 
corporate operations with appropriate contractual arrangements
Separation of liquid and solid wastes for optimal composting and nutrient 
recovery results
Energy minimisation for transportation, heating and ventilation
Measuring, monitoring and reporting – water and sewer flows, offsite 
trials, project outcomes
Other 'Green Building' features – water and energy saving devices or 
strategies
Costs and funding – seeking additional funding to bridge the gap between 
contributions from the Smart Water Fund and the project cost (currently 
being carried by the project team participants)

Feasibility study
The Composting Toilet Demonstration Feasibility Study addresses market 
demand and technical and economic feasibility, of a high density 
residential application, with guidance from some of Australia's leading 
research institutions, noted below.

Modern dry toilet technology can reduce household water consumption by 
around 25% and reduce loads of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to sewer 
by up to 80%. It can save energy for treatment of sewage and recover 
nutrients for agriculture. These systems are used in Scandinavia and in 
rural communities where they are proving to be more odour-free than 
conventional toilets while reducing use of scarce natural resources.

Following on from the feasibility study, the next steps are planning, 
detailed design and construction of the premium apartments, followed by 
operation, remote trial reuse, monitoring and reporting.

GHD and the project team's participation in this project are at the 
forefront of efforts to develop more ecologically sustainable housing in 
cities.

If you are interested in the outcomes of the study, please download a copy 
of the executive summary or the full report.


Participants
GHD is participating with the following parties in this project and 
provides links to their web pages in recognition of their contribution. 
These links do not imply endorsement of the services or products of these 
other parties.


Smart Water Fund
Driving innovative water-saving techologies
www.smartwater.com.au
	

Demaine Partnership Pty Ltd
Architect
www.demaine.net	

Environment Equipment
Designing dry toilet technology
www.rotaloo.com	

Bensons Property
Developer
www.bensonsproperty.com.au	

Technical Advisory Committee
City West Water
CSIRO
Department of Human Services (DHS)
Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
Melbourne Water Corporation
Monash University
University of NSW