LinkedIn·Monday, 27 July 2026·27 Jul 2026

What do mammals and teapots have to do with wastewater treatment? Quite a lot, as our colleagues Rik Van Meirhaeghe, Dries Parmentier and…

Noah Water Solutions

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What do mammals and teapots have to do with wastewater treatment? Quite a lot, as our colleagues Rik Van Meirhaeghe, Dries Parmentier and Bahram Barati discovered during the Liquid Treatment Workshop hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology in Paris earlier this month. Over two days, researchers, industry partners and organizations connected through the Gates Foundation's WASH network exchanged insights, discussed challenges and explored ways to accelerate wastewater-related innovation. A few memorable lessons: 🚽 Humans actually excrete more solids through urination than through defecation. A surprising fact shared by Shannon Yee and a reminder that assumptions are worth challenging. 🐘 From David Hu's work we learned that most mammals urinate for roughly the same duration, regardless of their size. Understanding these biological and hydraulic principles can even influence sanitation design. 🫖 He also discussed the so-called "teapot effect". A fluid dynamics phenomenon that is being used in the development of source-separated toilets to better control liquid flows. 🏠 And Pablo Campo emphasized the importance of testing sanitation technologies across multiple real-world conditions: at the toilet, at household septic level and at community sewer level. Laboratory validation alone is not enough. Beyond the technical content, the biggest value was the opportunity to discuss challenges openly with experts facing similar questions around wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Bringing together different perspectives remains one of the fastest ways to move the sector forward. Thank you Georgia Institute of Technology. We are grateful to be part of the community. One more lesson learned: 🍫 Don't set a Belgian chocolate tradition if you're going to forget the chocolates. We won't forget them next time. Promise. #WastewaterTreatment #Sanitation #WASH #ResourceRecovery #WaterSector #SourceSeparatedSanitation