Human waste to crops

The nutrient rich effluent produced through a septic treatment system is used on the fields to enhance the crops, and also provides some financial relief from having to buy expensive fertilisers.

The septic tank system works by:

• collecting human waste through the toilet pan which is dip flushed using less than one litre of water 
• waste passes through the first chamber of the septic tank where solid waste is treated
• only liquid passes through to the second chamber where further settlement of remaining solids occurs 
• nutrient rich effluent is piped underground from the second chamber to the surrounding crops and is a valuable fertiliser.

Approximately every ten years the accumulated sludge from the first chamber needs to be removed, which also provides valuable additional fertiliser.