Making clean water and electricity from sewage

Wired : An innovative system has been developed to turn human waste into electricity and clean water. Called the OmniProcessor, it was developed by Peter Janicki and his company, Janicki Bioenergy, located in Washington State. Through a complex process of waste separation, boiling, burning, and filtering, the $1.5 million OmniProcessor is a combination incinerator, water filtration system, and steam power plant. One reason the system is more efficient than conventional treatment plants is because it recaptures energy generated during the process and cycles it back into the system. Besides potable water and steam power, the process also yields phosphorus and potassium—gleaned from the solids left by the boiler—which can be used for soil fertilizer. The Omniprocessor has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which hopes to bring it to India, Africa, and other countries that lack adequate sanitation facilities.