Among the many experiments going on to lift the sanitation scenario in India, a new eco-vapor toilet system being tested is making rounds. Currently being investigated in India, the system utilises a fabric that traps human waste and allows only water vapor molecules to escape, allowing sewage to be less promising and convenient for growth of bacteria and other disease-causing organisms, on account of being dehydrated.

A team of researchers headed by Steven K Dentel, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware in the U.S., has been probing for several years on a breathable fabric that can be used to line pit toilets and provide other fundamental sanitary facilities in developing nations. The fabric which the team has been developing, is similar to the fabric used to make sports jackets and raincoats. Professor Dentel believes that this could be a viable means of filtering out liquid water from human waste, enabling the pure water to be eliminated while retaining everything else. This water could later be treated for re-use, as permissible.

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the project has been in the works for some time. Recently in the month of December, a small group led by doctoral student Shray Saxena headed to India to begin the first field test of the new fabric. Further, the nongovernmental organisation WaterAid India is partnering with the research group on site selection and implementation of the pilot project.