By: Ed Swanson

Ed Swanson — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:24:56 +0000

This is story seems like bonkers journalism. Sorry guys, you deserve this comment.
First, “honey wagons” and their operation are regulated by public health agencies under local and/or state jurisdictions. If this vacuum bike scenario comes true, every Dick and Jane with a pink bike could be cruising around with septage on board, taking trips between cesspools (these are prohibited by most health codes to prevent aquifer contamination) and a sewage treatment plant or a nearby manhole to discharge waste loads. Maybe the focus should be to plan for better sanitation practices instead of fleets of roving pink bikes.
Small diameter suction devices are apt to plug with personal care products and uncontrollable materials flushed down the drain. What will Dick and Jane do to clear a plugged suction device? Maybe the pink bikes can be modified to include a big paper roll and soiled paper waste container to clean up a plugged suction device. A solar powered fly swatter might be a green accessory.
THERE ARE BETTER LONG-TERM PLANS: “Waterless” toilets and urinals can produce compost, allowing nutrients in human waste (primarily from consumed foods grown in soil) to be returned to soils instead of polluting waterways and aquifers.
CT journalists need to consider report on waterless technologies, see http://www.drytoilet.org for some leads.

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By: Ed Swanson