What happens if the municipal wastewater system no longer works? A new project in Gävleborg will develop and test mobile and modular toilet solutions for emergency preparedness. CompostEra is participating as a technical partner.

The project is led by Sandviken Municipality through Sandbacka Science Park, together with, among others, Hofors and Ockelbo municipalities.

“The project is about turning preparedness into practical municipal capability. By developing and testing alternative toilet solutions in real-world environments, we want to build experience, methods and decision-making support that strengthen municipalities’ ability to manage situations where conventional wastewater systems are not functioning,” says Amanda Lööv, Project Manager at Sandbacka Science Park.

CompostEra contributes its expertise in waterless, composting and off-grid toilet solutions. The technology makes it possible to provide functional toilet facilities without connections to water, wastewater or the electricity grid. The solutions can also be designed to be mobile and rapidly deployed wherever they are needed.

As part of the project, different solutions will be built and tested in real-world environments. The focus will include functionality, capacity, hygiene, logistics and how the systems can be used by municipalities during extended disruptions to water and wastewater infrastructure.

For CompostEra, the project provides an opportunity to further develop and verify its technology for an important new application – emergency preparedness and resilience.

“This project could fundamentally change how we think about sanitation during times of crisis and emergency preparedness, but also in everyday situations. By developing mobile, modular off-grid composting toilets, we are creating alternatives that can be deployed when conventional wastewater systems are not available,” says Richard Cutler, Managing Director of CompostEra AB.