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Project updates

As the Sanbox project progresses, this page is updated with news and information from each of the participants. The information is sorted chronologically, with the oldest entries at the bottom of the page and the most recent updates at the top.

SANBOX project - Final Report

November 5, 2011
The public version of the SANBOX project's Final Report is now available for download. The report includes an executive summary, main results, individual test results from the three prototypes used in various climates, as well as an analysis of the impacts and wider implementation of the SANBOX system. This publicly available report is authored by Mr. Daniel Todt of the University of Life Sciences, Norway.
Click here to download the SANBOX Final Report - public version (PDF 520Kb)

Prototype results from Soline, Slovenia

October 20, 2011
Greywater treatment results from the SANBOX Mediterranean prototype at Natural park Soline, Sečovlje, Slovenia have proven that it is possible to reach substantial removal rates under the extremely challenging conditions that are related to a Mediterranean climate. Blackwater liquid phase reached zero water emission, while compost could be used as fertilizer on agricultural areas.  
Click here for full story and photographs!

SANBOX prototype on the Mediterranean coast - the challenge of building the prototype at Soline Natural Park in Slovenia

November 29, 2010
The goal of the Sanbox prototype at Soline Natural Park in Slovenia is to treat the wastewater (blackwater) from the toilets in a compost filter to remove solids and nutrients, and to treat the wastewater (greywater) from the washbasins in a constructed wetland system. An evapotranspiration module will use solar radiation to evaporate the liquid part of the blackwater.  
Click here for full story and photographs!

SANBOX prototype at 3,000 meters
- impressions and first results from the prototype installation at Britannia lodge

November 25, 2010
The Britannia lodge prototype has been operational for a while, and we are pleased to present our first results. 
Click here for full story and photographs!

Swiss mountaneering magazine reports on the Switzerland prototype installation

November 22, 2010
The Swiss mountaneering magazine "Die Alpen / Les Alps" features a 1-page story on the Sanbox prototype installation in Britannia lodge, Switzerland, in its 9th issue of 2010. The article is available in both German and French, and can be downloaded here -
Download link: German version (PDF 140 Kb)
Download link: French version (PDF 140 Kb)

SANBOX contributions to the 12th international Conference on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control

October 20, 2010
Three SANBOX partners presented results from their research related to SANBOX at the 12th International Conference on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control in Venice on 4-8 October 2010. 
Click here for full story!

Greywater treatment module experiment at the University of Tartu

December 4, 2009
Greywater treatment module experiments are conducted in sheltered experimental systems situated near a private residence about 20km from Tartu. Greywater from the residence is collected into a septic tank and pumped further to the experimental columns. A total of four parallel systems are tested, each consisting of three parallel vertical flow (VF) filters followed by horizontal flow (HF) filters. The filters are made of PE plastic pipes with a diameter of 36 cm. The VF filters of the first three systems are filled with different fractions (2-4mm, 4-10mm and 4-10mm crushed) of LECA™. The fourth system's experimental VF filters are filled with oil-shale ash (5-20mm). The HF filters are all filled with Filtralite-P™, except the fourth one, which is filled with oil-shale ash. It is also possible to re-circulate the effluent from the HF filter back to the VF filter.

The filters are loaded with greywater 20 times a day, each dose about 1.6 litres. A re-circulation rate of 300% is applied. Chemical parameters - pH, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD7), chemical oxygen demand (CODCr), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N), total phosphorus (TP), phosphate phosphorus (PO4-P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), total iron (Fetot) and sulfate (SO4)  - are measured weekly at the inflow and at the outflow of each column and in raw greywater. Microbiological parameters – coli forms, fecal coli forms, E.coli, fecal streptococcus – are measured monthly at the inflow and at the outflow of each column and in raw greywater.

Greywater treatment experiment 1

Greywater treatment experiment 2

Greywater treatment experiment 1

 

Detailed prototype descriptions now available

November 30, 2009
Detailed descriptions and flow charts for each one of the 3 SANBOX prototypes to be tested in different climates across Europe, are now available here:
Secovlje Salt Pans description  -  Britannia Lodge description  -  Kaja Student Dormitory description 

 

Prototype at the Secovlje Saltpans

November 27, 2009
At the entrance of the Secovlje Saltpans in Slowenia a wooden Sanbox house covering 15 m2 will be installed with 2 to 3 toilets, equipped with a Jets™ vacuum sanitation system. A black water module for dewatering of blackwater will be placed in a separate section. A greenhouse with post composting module and an evapotranspiration system will be placed independently near the Sanbox house. The wooden house will be built in the same style as other houses in the Natural Park. An information board with details about the Sanbox project will be placed in front of the house.

Secovlje Saltpans 1

Secovlje Saltpans 2

Black water module experiment at the University of Ljubljana

November 27, 2009
Black water module experiment at the University of Ljubljana consists of four columns made from Plexiglas with 20 cm diameter. The columns are placed on a wooden carrier with four plastic collection containers under the columns. First three columns were filled with different substrata: peat, grinded bark and mixtures of substrata. The black water source is a waste water treatment plant receiving sewage from the University of Ljubljana-SBR.

Columns are filled with black water in the range of 25 flushes of 0.8 L per day each day except weekends. Total suspended solids (TSS) are measured every day at the inflow and at the outflow of each column, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate nitrogen (NH3-N), total phosphorous (TP), dry matter and distribution of particles are measured once per week at the inflow and at the outflow of each column.

Black water module experiment 1

Black water module experiment 2

Black water module experiment 3

Black water module experiment 4

   

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