SHOULD EPA REGULATE YOUR URINATION?

What's in your urine? Generally, human urine contains three macro-nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Typically, urine comprises only about one percent of residential wastewater streams, but it contains about eighty percent of the nitrogen, fifty-five percent of the phosphorus and sixty percent of the potassium, as well as other nutrients such as sulphur, calcium and magnesium.

According to a recent report, attention now is being focused on the harvesting of such nutrients by means of "urine diversion" ("UD"). * UD is the separation of human urine from the wastewater influent stream at the point of urination. Interest in UD appears to be growing because urine can be used for agricultural fertilization and because at least two of the nutrients--nitrogen and phosphorus--when discharged from wastewater effluent contribute to over-enrichment of waterbodies. In particular, such over-enrichment causes algae blooms which result in adverse impacts on aquatic life.

Residential UD systems will require installation of urine diverting toilets and separate piping to channel urine to a storage tank somewhere in the front or back yard. Generally, a UD toilet has a split personality design, with a partitioned bowl. The front section of the bowl receives urine, which along with a small amount of water is flushed to the urine storage tank. On the other side of the partition, the back half of the bowl collects feces and toilet paper, which is flushed to the regular wastewater sewer the old-fashioned way or can be sent down a chute to a different tank in the basement or yard for eventual composting. In public buildings, urinals would be connected to UD systems.

While residential UD systems may have benefits, one wonders how practical is the design of a UD toilet. Specifically, a user necessarily will need to have accurate aim to make sure deposits reach the correct compartment of the toilet bowl. Such aiming could cause issues for some users. In addition, some homeowners may not appreciate having a urine storage tank in their front yard. However, the UD tank could be disguised by yard decorations, such as a small windmill, a small pagoda or a plastic deer, and some perennials.

One wonders whether implementation of UD systems in a step forward or a step backward for humankind. Would it be simpler just to walk into the garden and urinate on the tomato plants or the zinnias? Or in an urban setting, would it be simpler to empty a chamber pot out the window on to the street, where the accumulated flow eventually would be flushed from the streets into appropriate destinations? Possibly, houses could have mobile urination outhouses, disguised as potting sheds, that could collect urine and discharge it to different parts of the yard to nourish grass and plants.

UD systems, and their installation and use, would seem to be a likely subject for regulation by EPA. Water saving toilets and other water appliances already are regulated in some fashion by the government. Perhaps government grants can be made available for retrofitting UD systems in neighborhoods. Best to be pro-active and start practicing your aim.

_______________________________________________________________

*See Emerging Issues, Spring/Summer 2014