Presenter(s): Indigo Larson − Planning Public Policy And Management
Faculty Mentor(s): Kory Russel, Josh Bruce
Oral Session 4M
Research Area: Disaster Planning, Sanitation Management
This project investigates the feasibility of using container-based sanitation (CBS) toilets in place of standard toilet and sewer systems in the event of major earthquakes. Container-based sanitation refers to a system where toilets collect human excreta, are sealed and then are transported to a treatment facility. The focus of this project is urine diversion toilets, in which urine and feces are collected in separate sealable containers to be treated separately. Though these toilets were originally implemented in communities where running water is not common, there is evidence to support the idea that these toilets have direct application in the post-earthquake disaster scenarios. The Eugene, Oregon post-Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake scenario projects that piped water systems will be unusable for upwards of a year. Through an examination of the use of these and similar toilets in case studies in Japan, New Zealand and Haiti after large earthquakes, it is clear that urine diverting container based toilets are a viable solution for post-earthquake sanitation management . Researching and understanding proper sanitation management techniques for after natural disasters is crucial for successful public health and environmental and human dignity protection in a particularly vulnerable time. Container-based toilets have the potential to facilitate safe, easy and cost effective sanitation management during disaster recovery periods after major earthquakes in Eugene and throughout the world.