WRRC 2023 Fall Seminar

September 15, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Mānoa Campus, Holmes 244 and Zoom Meeting

Reinventing the Toilet for Global Sanitation: The NEWgenerator Resource Recovery Machine

by Dr. Daniel Yeh

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida

Billions of people worldwide suffer from poor sanitation due to a lack of wastewater infrastructure. With high capital expenditure and operational expenditure, the conventional approach of centralized wastewater treatment plants served by an extensive sewer system is not an option for many communities. A new classification of modular and pre-fabricated non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS, ISO 30500) has been introduced as an onsite micro-infrastructure alternative. Developed at the University of South Florida, the NEWgenerator is a solar-powered, modular, automated wastewater treatment and recycling system capable of operating independently from grid power, piped water, and sewer. The core technology within the NEWgenerator is the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), capable of handling a wide range of wastewater strengths, intermittent flows, and prolonged shutdowns. The value proposition of the NEWgenerator is that it makes flush toilets possible in off-grid, remote locations. The NEWgenerator was a recipient of the 5th Cade Museum Prize for Innovation and the 2020 USPTO Patents for Humanity Award. This presentation will follow the two-decade journey of the NEWgenerator from concept to development to commercialization, including extended field trials in India (Kerala) and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). The presentation will also highlight initiatives to implement the NEWgenerator in disadvantaged communities in the U.S.

Register for meeting:

https://hawaii.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsdOmqrzgtGd3ilUsDsAbn9PfUYx-lY1Ls


Event Sponsor
WRRC, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Zhiyue Wang, 956-7298, zhiyue@hawaii.edu

Share by email