As urban populations grow and centralized water and sewer systems reach capacity, and as rural communities remain disconnected from such infrastructure, Source Separated Sanitation (SSS) systems are becoming essential. SSS is an emerging and scalable concept that addresses these challenges by collecting, transporting, and treating waste streams—such as greywater, urine, and feces—separately at the source. This approach enhances water savings, enables the safe reuse of greywater, and supports the recovery of nutrients and organics from human waste (urine and feces). By preventing the dilution of waste streams, SSS facilitates more efficient treatment processes, allowing for targeted resource recovery and improved environmental outcomes.
The elevated temperatures of these concentrated streams also enable efficient heat recovery and the use of thermophilic processes, contributing to energy savings. Moreover, by isolating waste streams, SSS can help mitigate the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a growing concern in conventional wastewater systems. These technologies are crucial in providing sustainable sanitation solutions while reducing the strain on existing centralized systems. The theme started in 2004.