Thanks, The Water Network, ...

Thanks, The Water Network, for organizing the Water and Sanitation Event! I had the pleasure to attend and listen to the extremely interesting presentations. Prof. Hering (EAWAG) underlined that the sanitation emergency can be tackled only when technological solutions are matched by social and economic solutions. Two excellent technological solutions were then presented. Prof. Larsen, also from EAWAG, presented a prototype separating toilet with built in water recovery system. Prof. Tove underlined the technical aspects of the project but also mentioned the consistent stakeholders' involvement in all phases of the project, since the design of the prototype. Pof. Hoffmann from Caltech then illustrated the toilet that includes solar powered wastewater treatment. The project, that won the Bill and Melinda Gates award for the "reinvent the toilet challenge", uses the sun to power an electrochemical reactor that allows treating water. Such water can then be reused to flush the toilet or for irrigation. Both technologies, as the speakers said, could be adopted in developing countries to solve the sanitation emergency, reduce waterborne diseases, and finally meet the sanitation MDG... I am looking forward to that day! I hope that the presentations of the sanitation events will be uploaded soon for all the Water Network members to have some insights on new sanitation technologies!