Free ANSI Webinar covers standards for next gen toilets.
Press Release Summary:
ANSI invites participation in March 16, 2016 webinar (1 pm EST) to discuss participation in 2 new ISO projects related to Next Generation Toilets. First addresses process of organizing potential U.S. stakeholders for both International Workshop Agreement (IWA) as well as U.S. TAG to support U.S. national consensus-based participation in proposed ISO Project Committee if approved. Additionally, ANSI submitted New Work Item Proposal (NWIP), "Sustainable non-sewered sanitation systems," to ISO.
Original Press Release:
March 16 Webinar on International Standards for Next Generation Toilets
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites all interested parties to participate in a free webinar on March 16, 2016, at 1 p.m. EST, to discuss participation in two new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) projects related to Next Generation Toilets. The webinar is meant to be an introduction to the process of organizing potential U.S. stakeholders for both an IWA workshop, as well as the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (U.S. /TAG) to support U.S. national consensus-based participation in the proposed ISO Project Committee if approved.
Next generation “reinvented toilets” are sanitation fixtures that can help prevent disease and death. These toilets remove pathogens and do not require traditional infrastructure, such as sewer, water connection, or electricity. They also cost less than 5 cents per user, which would provide an opportunity for developing countries to utilize safer, cleaner and cost-efficient toilet alternatives.
As the U.S. member body to ISO, ANSI encourages participation from national government agencies including those involved in improving public sanitation, national standards bodies, reinvented toilet prototype developers and/or commercial partners, public health and clean water NGOs, and companies, academia, and other affected stakeholders to participate on the webinar.
Lack of safe and private toilets across the globe is associated with violent crime and deadly diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 2.5 billion people have no access to safe, clean toilets. The consequences are drastic: An estimated 1 million preventable deaths per year are associated with diseases contracted from unsanitary conditions.
Next generation “reinvented toilets” are sanitation fixtures that can help prevent disease and death. These toilets remove pathogens and do not require traditional infrastructure, such as sewer, water connection, or electricity. They also cost less than 5 cents per user, which would provide an opportunity for developing countries to utilize safer, cleaner and cost-efficient toilet alternatives.
Sustainable non-sewered sanitation systems, also known as “next-generation toilets,” are a practical solution for the sanitation-related death and disease that is rampant among developing nation populations. As part of a multi-phased initiative to facilitate the development of a globally recognized consensus standard for safer, cleaner reinvented toilets, ANSI will first hold an International Workshop Agreement (IWA) workshop on sustainable non-sewered sanitation systems in late June. In addition, ANSI also recently submitted a New Work Item Proposal (NWIP) to ISO on the same topic titled, “Sustainable non-sewered sanitation systems.” [see related news item
The proposed scope statement for the NWIP is as follows:
“The international standard will define criteria to qualify sanitation systems sufficiently especially in terms of safety, functionality, reliability, maintainability, usability, and that the discharge (treated effluent) are compliant with leading practices. The aim of the standard is to ensure safety aspects related to the operation of the sanitation systems in the intended areas of use and that the treated discharged products pose no user, operator health or environment risks. The standard is applicable to individual and community sanitation systems which are self-contained, meet defined discharge requirements, and aim for sustainability regardless of the on-site treatment technology.”
For call-in information for the March 16 WebEx meeting, please contact Kristen Califra (kcalifra@ansi.org).
