World’s first eToilet in Kerala | Fusion - WeRIndia

Pulluvila, a calm village located close to the airport in Thiruvananthapuram, has made a place for itself on the global sanitation map for using the world’s first eToilet. It also utilizes technology to turn waste into fertiliser, produce power etc. It even makes potable water.

A local church in this place has been hosting a pilot project since January. In this, more than 150 students are using two eToilets. The toilets are integrated with technology termed as NEWgenerator developed by the University of South Florida. NEW refers to nutrients, energy and water.

The eToilet is developed by Eram Scientific Solutions, a local firm which is funded by Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation. Coincidentally, NEWgen technology is also funded by grants from the same foundation.

Integrating the technology into eToilet made its usage simple and easy. The entire process is very revolutionary. The user can enter using a coin which opens door and switches on a light. He can move into it by the audio commands. The toilet is programmed to flush 1.5 litres of water for the usage of three minutes and if the usage exceeds the time, 4.5 litres of water is used to flush. After certain numbers of uses, say 10 uses, the platform is completely washed down as programmed in it.

The technology used in these toilets helps recycle the water which goes back into the system to flush out again. The solid wastes in these toilets are converted into phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. They are stored to be used as fertilisers. The gas from the urine is changed into methane which is used for burning.

Eram’s eToilets are the merging of electronics, mechanical and web-mobile technologies. The features control everything including the entry, usage, cleaning and exit. They also help to monitor the toilet remotely. And NEWgen helps in recycling water, harvesting energy and creating fertilisers. Finally waste is turned to profit. So far, 1,600 eToilets are set up by the company in around 19 states of the country.

Image Reference: India.com