Portable Sanitation Association International

Association Insight June 29 2016

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WEEKLY EDITION June 29, 2016 Kos Represents the PSAI at First ISO International Workshop on Next Generation Toilets Meetings are this we ek in Singapore The PSAI's Executive Director Karleen Kos is in Singapore this week, joining 70 other attendees who have gathered for the first International Standards O rganization (ISO) Workshop on Next Generation Toilets. This four - day event convenes san itation experts from around the world to draft an international technic al standard for sustainable non sewered sanitation systems. The attendees represent 19 nations and more than 50 global organizations. Support from the Gates Foundation The cost of Kos' travel and attendance at the conference has been largely offset by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates charity has invested heavily in global sanitation solutions over the past several years as part of its larger focus on global p ublic health improvements. The Foundation's "Reinvent the Toilet (RT) Challenge" was issued in 2011 to bring new and innovative sanitation technologies in to the market, with the final objective of addressing the global sanitation crisis that currently lea ves 2.5 billion people without access to safe and affordable sanitation. RT Challenge Spurs Need for a New Standard The purpose of establishing a technical standard for sustainable nonsewered sanitation systems is to accelerate the development of further innovative technologies for solving the sanitation crisis. Standards facilitate communication among engineers, investors, governmental bodies, and non - governmental organizations like the PSAI. Ultimately, standards tend to reduce the time required for R&D of new products without restricting technological developments in the sanitation industry. As an outcome of the RT Challenge, several prototypes have now been built and are currently undergoing extensive lab and field testing. These products are not yet commercially available. In order for these prototypes to be accepted by users and sources of funding, they need to meet objective standards – yet such standards do not currently exist. Hence, ISO and its related US - based organization, ANSI, have convened the group meeting in Singapore to begin this process. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Dr Andreas Hauser representing TUV SUD, the global testing and standards organization, sets the stage during the initial session Tuesday morning in Singapore. He is flank ed at the speakers' table by colleagues from TUV SUD and ANSI. Dr Hauser points out that the standard being developed is historic because it is being created pro actively, before products are on the market. This will help save time and money for innovators and entrepreneurs who develop new nonsewered sanitation solutions. It will also likely save lives by getting good solutions into the field sooner.

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