Proposals for a rapidly deployable emergency sanitation treatment system

This paper discusses a novel concept design for a sanitation treatment system, based on membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, to be used as a rapidly deployable unit in emergency situations such as a refugee camp. This study carried out on behalf of Oxfam GB, firstly, took a look at the types of emergency scenarios a MBR system may become applicable for such as site situations that preclude the use of traditional sanitary solutions like pit latrines. Secondly the study then assessed the feasibility of using a MBR to treat the wastewater generated from such a refugee camp environment. Three different concept designs were successfully developed to meet the sanitary needs of the emergency situation and some recommendations were made for testing these designs in the field. This study concluded that the use of a MBR in these difficult circumstances could prove appropriate on technical and operational grounds if not purely financial ones.