Pamplona
Urine Filtration
Upcycling urine to usable water for residents in Pamplona Alta
Spring 2023
In collaboration with the Sloan School of Management at MIT, we designed a urine filtration service for Pamplona Alta, a town located on the outskirts of Lima, Peru.
Residents in Pamplona Alta doesn’t have access to sewage systems. Thus, most of the human wastes are directly disposed to the ground, and sanitized water is extremely expensive.
Our urine filtration services provides residents with a filtration tank that up cycles urine into reusable grey water, enabling residents to safe up on water and manage human waste with sanitation.
Located near Lima, Pamplona Alta is a neighborhood known for its poverty and lack of infrastructural development. Due to its complex landscape, Pamplona doesn't have access to sanitized water and sewage systems.
Water are delivered to residents in Pamplona Alta by water trucks. However, this service is expensive and the water is unsanitized.
Most of the households in Pamplona use pit latrine and community septic tank for human waste management. Once a septic tank gets filled up, residents will seal it.
Some households enroll in Sanima Human Waste Management, a service that collects and disposes human waste. Sanima provides the users with waterless toilets separating urine and solid wastes. Solid wastes are collected by the program, while urine are deposed directly to the ground.
Our Mission
To empower Pamplona Alta residents with access to sanitation and water
To promote the adoption rate of Sanima’s human waste service
To deploy this model of service in other water-scarce regions
Problem & Mission
Sanima’s Existing Service
Sanima’s Urine Recycling Service
Waterless Toilet Installation
Usage
Replaceable Filter Supply
Filtration Container Supply
Sanima
Human Waste & Used Filter Collection
User
Waterless Toilet Installation
Usage
User
Sanima
Human Waste Collection
Service
Lid
Hose Connection
Filter
Chlorine Slot
Tank
200 mm
120 mm
280 mm
The 6 Liter capacity of the urine filtration device is designed based on the need of a household of 3-4 people. Based on the lifestyle of Pamplona residents, who spend the majority of their day working outside from home, each household is expected to empty the filtered water twice a week. The layout of the device prevents user from touching the urine when replacing the filter.
Dimension
Work Like Prototype
User Journey
Collection
Chlorine Replacement
Filter Replacement
Replace the filter with a new one every two weeks
Put in a new Chlorine tablet
Use the handle and spout to pour out sanitized water
Installation
Usage
Filtration
Attach the filtration container to the toilet
Begin using
Filtration begins as urine flows into the filtration container
Design
Urine
Activated Carbon
Chlorine
Grey Water
Not sanitized,
Contains urea, uric acid and bacterias
Removes urea, which contains odor, colors, and toxins like ammonia
Eliminates bacterias that cannot be removed by activated carbon
Sanitized, odorless, colorless, and bacteria-free water safe for uses like cleaning and laundry
Cap
Aluminum Mesh
Activated Carbon
Housing
Replaceable Filter
Activated carbon removes urea, the substance in urine that contains toxins like ammonia and carbon dioxide. Removing urea eliminates toxins, odor, and color in urine.
Chlorine Cartridge
Chlorine tablets can be placed in the bottom cartridge of the tank. Chlorine further eliminates bacterias that cannot be removed by activated carbon.
Samples from Work Like Prototype
We sampled urine and filtered it using our work like prototype.
Our filtration method successfully removed odor, colors, and bacterias from the urine sample.
Filtration
Pamplona Urine Filtration
Human waste management system for Pamplona Alta
Spring 2023
In collaboration with the Sloan School of Management at MIT, we designed a urine filtration service for Pamplona Alta, a town located on the outskirts of Lima, Peru.
Residents in Pamplona Alta doesn’t have access to sewage systems. Thus, most of the human wastes are directly disposed to the ground, and sanitized water is extremely expensive.
Our urine filtration services provides residents with a filtration tank that up cycles urine into reusable grey water, enabling residents to safe up on water and manage human waste with sanitation.
