Top 5 Finalists Announced! FINISH Mondial 2^nd SanTech Hackathon

Following the success of last year’s inaugural technical sanitation contest, on March 23^rd 2021, FINISH Mondial launched the 2^nd annual SanTech Hackathon, led by our Technical Working Group. This year, our Technical Working Group experts have challenged innovators and practitioners to come up with innovative sanitation solutions for the crucial issue of flood-prone & high-water table areas.

From the 22 innovators from 12 countries who submitted novel ideas for the call, the Technical Working Group has selected 5 finalists based on a detailed criteria which intersects at the points of (a) addressing the geographic and climate focus and (b) the FINISH Mondial programme’s core values regarding feasibility, scalability, and accessibility/cost-effectiveness. The below outlined top 5 finalists will move forward to have their innovations evaluated by our jury of international sanitation experts.

The final 3 winners and prizes will be announced at the live webinar event being held on Wednesday, July 28th 2021, 11.00-12.00 CEST. Join us for this live webinar event to vote for the 4^th award winning category – crowd favourite. Finalists will have the chance to present their ideas, followed by guest appearances and insights from international sanitation experts dedicated to the topic. Registration is possible at this link.

We thank everyone for participating and congratulate the following 5 innovations for continuing to the final round!

1. Containerized full treatment system from prefabricated Ferrocement (Tanjun Associate LLP, India)

The proposed sanitation system consists of 3 main components: (1) a (pour) flush toilet, (2) a prefabricated containerized septic tank and (3) a filter medium, connected in series. The filter medium is packed with 3 main filter mediums, aggregate/course materials, river sand and activated carbon, placed from top to bottom, respectively.

How does it address the challenge? The sanitation system is containerized full treatment system. This means that once any polluted water enters the system, it gets treated and discharged to surface water or infiltrate into the groundwater as it cannot pollute them.

2. Raised toilet with locally available filtration medium (Moh Fachry Ade A, Indonesia)

The proposed sanitation system consists of 3 main components: (1) a raised (pour) flush toilet, (2) a baffled channel septic tank with (3) a filter medium. The filter medium is packed with 4 layers of filter medium: gravel, palm fibre, sand, and palm fibre, placed from bottom to top, respectively.

How does it address the challenge? The raised toilet acts as the user interface. Using a hydraulic system, faecal sludge/ solid contents are reduced at the first and second chambers. Then, in the last chamber, the remaining effluent is treated using a filtration process.

3. Raised plinth toilet with low-cost and easily available growth medium for human waste treatment (Dr. Pawan Kumar Jha, India)

The proposed sanitation system consists of 2 main components: (1) a (pour) flush toilet and (2) three different pits connected in series. Each pit comprises a ring channel with different functions: settling, treatment, and leaching chamber.

How does it address the challenge? The raised plinth toilet acts as the user interface. First, human waste flows into the settling pit. The effluent is received and treated at the second pit using growth medium in used cement bags (60-70 bags). At the third pit, the treated effluent leaches out in the soil from the ground surface.

4. Comprehensive filtration system for a cluster toilet (Anik Dutta, Netherlands)

Solution includes (1) a raised toilet superstructure, (2) a four-step effluent filtration system, (3) settler, (4) anaerobic filter, (5) planted gravel filter, and (6) fishpond. The containment units (a settler and anaerobic filter) are constructed from prefabricated, waterproof material.

How does it address the challenge? The superstructure and containment units (settler and anaerobic filter) are raised above ground level to avoid floodwater infiltration into the system. The effluent flushed from the toilet will be contained and treated in the settle and anaerobic filtration partially. Then, the colour and odour treated with large gravel and sand-filled basin planted with wetland vegetation. At last, treated effluent flow to the fishpond.

5. SuperAdobe wall with separate urine and faeces treatment units (AKYAS Sanitation, Jordan & EAHR, Denmark)

The sanitation system is a container-based, bag-based back-end system with two main components housed in a slightly raised SuperAdobe structure. First, AKYAS’s liquid-diverting pan separates liquids from faecal waste. Second, a compostable & breathable bag collects faecal waste, held in a container embedded in the soil.

How does it address the challenge? The compostable bag is placed inside a waterproof non-perforated container embedded in soil and is taller than 60 cm. This is tackling a flood level of a maximum 60 cm high.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrcumprTssGtHzvdKC5Rm1mFO0f1ZSg-Dp

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. See you on the 21st!