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November 17, 2009 18:45 PM

Affordable Twin Purpose Toilet For World's Rural Poor

SINGAPORE, Nov 17 (Bernama) - The world's poor and rural communities will soon have access not only to proper sanitation but also use of human waste fertiliser when a Singapore-based company makes available its locally-designed affordable toilets.

The company, Rigel Technology, has designed a prototype of the toilet, a modular squat toilet consisting of three-in-one pan with a raised platform with a step, a compost chamber and urine collector.

The prototype which is in the final stage of development will be exhibited at the World Toilet Summit and Expo (WTSE) 2009 here early next month, according to the company's managing director, Christopher Ng today.

Speaking at a media conference here, Ng said the company decided to join hands with the World Toilet Organization (WTO) to produce affordable toilets for rural communities that had no access to sanitation as its corporate social responsibility in serving mankind.

He said the maintenance-free, light (25 kg) and low-cost toilet, made of recycled materials, could be easily deployed without the need to be connected to a conventional sewerage system.

The solid waste is composted for re-use as fertiliser, while the liquid waste is piped out separately via a built-in urine diverter and urea is extracted from it.

Ng said the toilets, to be priced between US$30 and US$100, cheaper than building one that usually costs US$300, would be mass-produced in its factories in Sichuan, China, initially 10,000 units monthly, and marketed from early next year.

Meanwhile, the locally-based WTO founder, Jack Sim said about 2.5 billion people in the world had no access to proper toilet, an emerging market estimated to be worth more than US$1 trillion.

He said the toilets could also be easily deployed and practical for use in disaster areas affected by flood or earthquake, or areas where there were refugees, another new market for the toilets.

The WTSE, ninth in the series and to be held on Dec 2 to 4, is jointly-organised by WTO and MP Asia, in partnership with Asian Development Bank and Singapore's Restroom Association.

-- BERNAMA

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