<p>With an aim to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water supply, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has joined hands with a US firm to develop a plant which can turn human faeces into potable water, saying the new technology could be a "great fit" in India.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The plant known the Omniprocessor was designed and built by Seattle-based Janicki Bioenergy and backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The facility would try to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water supplies.<br /><br />According to a blog post of Bill Gates, at least 2 billion people worldwide don't have access to adequate sanitation, with human waste often polluting the water supply and remaining untreated.<br /><br />Gates said the Omniprocessor could also be a "great fit" in India working with local entrepreneurs to make the machine a reality.<br /><br />"There's no indication of price (it could be "several years" until it's ready), but at the same size as two double-decker buses, it's definitely not a consumer technology. Instead, it's hoped that local governments and entrepreneurs will be interested," he said in the blog.<br /><br />"Diseases caused by poor sanitation kill some 7,00,000 children every year," Gates wrote, "and they prevent many more from fully developing mentally and physically," he added.<br /><br />"Western toilets aren't the answer, because they require a massive infrastructure of sewer lines and treatment plants that just isn't feasible in many poor countries. So a few years ago our foundation put out a call for a new solution," Gates said.<br /><br />"The "Omniprocessor" aims to help with this problem. Its development is led by Seattle-based engineering firm Janicki Bioenergy," he added.<br /><br />The machine extracts water from sewage that's piped in or delivered to the facility. The dry sewage is then incinerated to generate steam, which powers the entire machine.<br /><br />Gates publicly demonstrated his commitment to the new technology by drinking a glass of water on camera that entered the machine as feces just minutes before.<br />He said that it's as "good as any he's had out a bottle" and would "happily drink it every day.<br /><br />A test plant is up and working at Janicki's headquarters, according to the blog post. The first operational plant is planned for Senegal.<br /><br />"The next-generation processor, more advanced than the one I saw, will handle waste from 1,00,000 people, producing up to 86,000 litres of potable water a day and a net 250 kw of electricity," he wrote.<br /><br />"If we get it right, it will be a good example of how philanthropy can provide seed money that draws bright people to work on big problems, eventually creating a self-supporting industry." the blog post added.</p>
<p>With an aim to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water supply, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has joined hands with a US firm to develop a plant which can turn human faeces into potable water, saying the new technology could be a "great fit" in India.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The plant known the Omniprocessor was designed and built by Seattle-based Janicki Bioenergy and backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The facility would try to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water supplies.<br /><br />According to a blog post of Bill Gates, at least 2 billion people worldwide don't have access to adequate sanitation, with human waste often polluting the water supply and remaining untreated.<br /><br />Gates said the Omniprocessor could also be a "great fit" in India working with local entrepreneurs to make the machine a reality.<br /><br />"There's no indication of price (it could be "several years" until it's ready), but at the same size as two double-decker buses, it's definitely not a consumer technology. Instead, it's hoped that local governments and entrepreneurs will be interested," he said in the blog.<br /><br />"Diseases caused by poor sanitation kill some 7,00,000 children every year," Gates wrote, "and they prevent many more from fully developing mentally and physically," he added.<br /><br />"Western toilets aren't the answer, because they require a massive infrastructure of sewer lines and treatment plants that just isn't feasible in many poor countries. So a few years ago our foundation put out a call for a new solution," Gates said.<br /><br />"The "Omniprocessor" aims to help with this problem. Its development is led by Seattle-based engineering firm Janicki Bioenergy," he added.<br /><br />The machine extracts water from sewage that's piped in or delivered to the facility. The dry sewage is then incinerated to generate steam, which powers the entire machine.<br /><br />Gates publicly demonstrated his commitment to the new technology by drinking a glass of water on camera that entered the machine as feces just minutes before.<br />He said that it's as "good as any he's had out a bottle" and would "happily drink it every day.<br /><br />A test plant is up and working at Janicki's headquarters, according to the blog post. The first operational plant is planned for Senegal.<br /><br />"The next-generation processor, more advanced than the one I saw, will handle waste from 1,00,000 people, producing up to 86,000 litres of potable water a day and a net 250 kw of electricity," he wrote.<br /><br />"If we get it right, it will be a good example of how philanthropy can provide seed money that draws bright people to work on big problems, eventually creating a self-supporting industry." the blog post added.</p>