The USF-developed NEWgenerator will soon be installed in Durban, South Africa. It generates nutrients, energy and water by safely recovering them from wastewater. Photo courtesy of Daniel Yeh.
Source:University of South Florida
FLORIDA, NOV 2, 2017 -- An associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Florida is the principal investigator of a two-year, $1.14 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Daniel Yeh, PhD, will soon install a new and improved version of his NEWgenerator in Durban, South Africa.
The NEWgenerator generates nutrients, energy and water from wastewater, without being hooked up to sewer lines.
According to the University of South Florida, The NEWgenerator mimics a miniature wastewater treatment plant without the usual energy-intensive aeration tank that blows air to break down pollutants and the plethora of chemicals. By harnessing an army of anaerobic microorganisms, the process eliminates the need for oxygen, causing organic material to turn into biogas. Biogas is a renewable form of energy, allowing the NEWgenerator to generate electricity and run completely on its own when coupled with solar panels.
A multistage disinfection process consists of a fine-pore microscopic membrane filter that traps bacteria and viruses, followed by disinfection using chlorine.
The recycled water can be used for toilet flushing or irrigation, cutting down demand on fresh water for these uses. Additionally, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) safely recovered with the NEWgenerator can be used as fertilizer for community gardens.
Dr. Yeh and USF postdoctoral researcher Dr. Robert Bair will begin field testing with their partners at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in early 2018. They are one of four crews selected by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop technologies called Reinvented Toilets that help solve water and sanitation problems in Durban and worldwide.
