Sanitation Futures - project details
Projects completed in 2006
Water Conservation Potential of an Australia Wide Single Flush Toilet Retrofit
Projects completed in 2003
Training module for householders with septic tank and absorption trench systems
Projects completed in 2002
Options Analysis - Demonstration of an Innovative Community Based Watercycle Management System
Projects completed in 2001
Hornsby Septic Safe: Evaluation of on-site options
Projects completed in 2006
Water Conservation Potential of an Australia Wide Single Flush Toilet Retrofit
Caroma Industries Limited
The Institute developed a model to estimate the volume of water used for toilet flushing in Australia in order to investigate both the volume of possible water saved since the introduction of dual flush toilets in Australia and the water conservation potential of an Australia wide single flush toilet retrofit. For this demand analysis, ISF developed a stock model to predict the percentage of each toilet type in stock in Australia over a 30 year period beginning in 2001. In addition to this, ISF extended its current method for modelling stock to incorporate a more accurate approach to predict the 'time to replacement' of a toilet.
Projects completed in 2003
Training module for householders with septic tank and absorption trench systems
Mulwaree Shire Council
The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), in cooperation with Mulwaree Shire Council and the Sydney Catchment Authority, has recently developed an On-Site System Management Accreditation Course for householders with septic tank and absorption trench systems. The aim of this course is to provide residents with an understanding of how their on-site system works, and how to maintain it, thus enabling them to effectively undertake their own annual system inspections. Several courses have already been run with over 500 residents of Mulwaree Shire, with extremely positive feedback. The accreditation course has recently received endorsement from the Department of Local Government SepticSafe program, and it is currently being offered to other councils in NSW.
Projects completed in 2002
Options Analysis - Demonstration of an Innovative Community Based Watercycle Management System
Sydney Water Corporation
The study will demonstrate and monitor a proven advanced decentralised treatment technology that us in use in the USA, Europe and/or NZ, to establish its technical and economic potential for use in unsewered communities and greenfield sites. For this phase of the project, sustainability criteria will be developed to screen and evaluate various systems to determine the most 'sustainable' and 'appropriate' technology option for the specified site.
Projects completed in 2001
Hornsby Septic Safe: Evaluation of on-site options
CRESTA
ISF and the Centre for Risk, Environment and Systems Technology Analysis (CRESTA) have recently been awarded a grant under the NSW Department of Local Government Septic Safe program to evaluate a range of on-site sanitation options in Hornsby Shire. Least Cost Planning (LCP) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodologies will be used to evaluate the options, ranging from septic systems to composting toilets and sand filters. A full comparison will be made between these household level sanitation technologies and provision of centralised sewage treatment in Hornsby Shire.
Hotels Water Audit
Sydney Water Corporation
The project was a part of $25 million Non-Residential Demand Management Program of Sydney Water Corporation. ISF was contracted to undertake a water efficiency audit of a group of four 4 and 5-star hotels in the Sydney CBD. The audit comprised an extensive survey of all water using activities and fixtures. The objective was to assess the current efficiency of water usage and identify cost-effective measures that, if implemented, would reduce the demand for water, and at the same time reduce sewer discharge and hot water costs. Hotels audited: All Seasons Premier Menzies Hotel, ANA Hotel, Millennium Hotel, Hilton Hotel and the Capital Centre
Septic Safe - Lismore
Lismore City Council
This project was funded by the Department of Local Government's Septic Safe Program and carried out jointly with Lismore City Council, Rous Water and Southern Cross University. It aimed to determine the impact of low cost options: water efficiency upgrades; low phosphorus laundry detergents; septic tank pumpouts; and a combination of all three of the above treatments on septic system health.
The main outcomes of the project were:
· While regular tank pumpouts are important in maintaining a well functioning septic system, preventative measures such as water efficiency upgrades and use of low phosphate detergents can significantly improve the quality of the effluent leaving the tank.
· Those households receiving all treatments (pumpout, low phosphate detergent, and water efficient devices) showed the greatest decrease in TP, BOD and TSS.
· Tank pumpouts are expected to decrease TSS and BOD loads to the trench, and this result was noticed in this study. However decreases in both TSS and BOD were also noticed for those households receiving water efficient devices only, indicating that water efficiency not only decreases hydraulic loading of the system but can also play a role in decreasing the suspended solids moving from the tank to the trench and thereby can decrease the likelihood of trench clogging.
Developing a Manual for Doing Greenfield Developments Differently, With Edmondson Park as a Case Study
Sydney Water Corporation
Edmondson Park is a proposed urban development in the south west of Sydney (approx. 11,000 lots). LandCom is the developer, and the land is partly owned by the Departtment of Defence. The project will involve the development of conceptual options available for water, wastewater and stormwater using Edmondson Park as a case study, evaluating these options against sustainability criteria, and refining these options in stakeholder workshops. The deliverables of the project are a greenfield workbook or manual.
