Vermi-Urine-Diverting Dry Toilet (Vermi-UDDT) with Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHs) for Better Sanitation

The onset of COVID-19 has caused an increase in the demand for safe water and proper sanitary facilities, resulting in a crisis in the developing world. Providing facilities that meet the sanitary and hygienic requirements required for the COVID-19 situation is a challenge for these countries. In this context, this paper proposes an integrated solution to use a cost-effective rainwater harvesting system (RWHs) as a water supply, Urine-Diverting Dry Toilet (UDDT) system as a zero-water sanitary toilet, and a foot pump-powered hand washing system. A first-flush and a filter are not readily available in RWHs in developing countries. So, by designing the inlet/outlet configuration of the storage tank, this research proposes a tank design that could minimize sediment re-suspension (by nearly 50%) and maximize residence time of a conservative pollutant. The treatment time of vermicomposting was reduced by using saw dust as a catalyst to separate the feces and reduce the treatment time of vermicomposting (ratio of feces and sawdust = 1:0.5 (v/v)). The saw dust facilitated the microbial activity, enabling earthworms to decompose faster. The solution proposed is fast, waste-free, and energy-efficient, while effectively recycling nutrients and organic materials.