ABSTRACT
56An experimental prototype of the eSOS (emergency sanitation operation system) smart toilet was developed and tested at a transitional settlement of disaster affected people in the Philippines. The toilet was equipped with sensors and information communication technologies (ICT) for efficient operation in emergency setting. The field-testing aimed at evaluating the design of the toilet related to the user frequency/intensity, obtaining insight of usage patterns in a real-life situation, and testing the features and functionality of the toilet. The toilet gained data from nearly 700 users within a 7-weeks period. From the overall operational perspective, the toilet performed properly providing large, novel, and reliable information. It was evaluated at a maximum occupancy of up to 30 persons/day without queue, suggesting suitable application in transitional phase between short-term to long term emergency phases. Amongst the merits, the toilet saved up to 90% water consumptions compared to conventional toilets. The application of the eSOS toilet sensors and ICT allowed for a responsive maintenance resulting in optimum operation and minimum losses of users. The collected data gained insight in toilet usage pivotal to the design refinements of the toilet, as well as to improvements in terms of cost savings, better services and vision for sustainability.
