Innovation Anthology #610:

Download MP3 Link

Water and sewer systems across North America are nearing the end of the lifespan.

 

According to Dr. Nicholas Ashbolt, now is the time to install different systems, ones that would allow for the recovery of resources in sewage.

 

Dr. Ashbolt holds the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Translational Chair in Water at the University of Alberta.

 

And as he explains, one innovation is the urine diversion toilet.

 

DR NICHOLAS ASHBOLT:  80 percent of the nitrogen that we consume in our diet ends up in the urine stream.  Why dilute that 1 percent of the urine stream with 99 percent of what else is in the sewer  It’s not a very sensible approach.  In essence  if you look into the little bowl of a urine diversion toilet, it looks like a conventional pedestal, except at the front there’s a litle bit of a weir and a second hole if you like, so that the urine can go down to a separate bit of plumbing to a storage tank where it can either go in a vacuum or pressure sewer, pumped out  to a central location where it can then be taken out to agriculture and injected into the ground as a fertilizer.

 

Dr. Ashbolt also suggests foregoing the use of treated water to fight fires.

 

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY

I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Guest

,

, , , ,

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

 

 

Program Date: 2014-05-08