Reinventing the Toilet for Global Sanitation: The NEWgenerator Resource Recovery Machine

Webinar Summary

Billions of people worldwide suffer from poor sanitation due to lack of wastewater infrastructure. Due to high CAPEX and OPEX, the conventional approach of centralized wastewater treatment plants served by an extensive sewer system is not an option for many communities. Accordingly, a new classification of modular and prefabricated non-sewered sanitation systems (NSS) have been proposed as a micro-infrastructure alternative. Developed at the University of South Florida through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, the NEWgenerator is a solar-powered, modular, wastewater treatment and recycling system capable of operating completely off-grid from energy, water and sewer. The core technology within the NEWgenerator is the anaerobic membrane bioreactor, capable of handling a wide range of wastewater strengths, intermittent flows, and prolonged shutdowns.  This presentation will follow the two-decade journey of the NEWgenerator from concept to commercialization, including field trials in India (Kerala) and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal), and receiving the 2020 USPTO Patents for Humanity Award.

About the Presenter

Dr. Daniel Yeh is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. He is also a visiting professor at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Dr. Yeh's research and teaching interests are in water & wastewater engineering, global water & sanitation, water/energy/food nexus, and life support systems for space travel. Dr. Yeh holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BS Natural Resources, BSE Civil Engineering and MSE Environmental Engineering) and Georgia Institute of Technology (PhD Environmental Engineering). Dr. Yeh is a professional engineer, an AAEES board-certified environmental engineer, and a LEED Accredited Professional.

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