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While there are
other options for treating waste water, the system applied at
the University of Ghent uses a special membrane, is said to be
energy-efficient and to be applicable in areas off the
electricity grid.
"We're able to recover fertilizer and drinking water from urine
using just a simple process and solar energy," said University
of Ghent researcher Sebastiaan Derese.
The urine is collected in a big tank, heated in a solar-powered
boiler before passing through the membrane where the water is
recovered and nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and
phosphorus are separated.
Under the slogan #peeforscience, the team recently deployed the
machine at a 10-day music and theater festival in central Ghent,
recovering 1,000 liters of water from the urine of revelers.
The aim is to install larger versions of the machine in sports
venues or airports but also to take it to a rural community in
the developing world where fertilisers and reliable drinking
water are short in supply, Derese said.
As was the case with previous projects the research team was
engaged in, the water recovered from the city festival will be
used to make one of Belgium's most coveted specialties - beer.
"We call it from sewer to brewer," Derese said.
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip
Blenkinsop/Jermey Gaunt)
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