The recent Source Separated Sanitation Summit in Helsingborg offered powerful insights into the future of urban sanitation—and the ANCHOR project was at the heart of it.
One of the summit’s standout moments was the presentation of the ANCHOR demonstration sites. These real-world examples in Ghent, Hamburg, Helsingborg, Amsterdam, and the newly launched project in Paris sparked strong interest from a wide range of organizations. The enthusiasm confirmed that source separation is no longer a niche idea. It’s gaining serious traction across Europe.
The event also served as a vibrant networking hub, bringing together municipal authorities, private companies, and academic institutions. The exhibition area, in particular, proved to be a fertile ground for building new cross-border collaborations. Several suppliers of blackwater vacuum systems were present, sharing the latest insights on system maintenance, many of which stem directly from the ANCHOR project’s findings.
A highlight of the physical exhibits was the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency’s containerized emergency sanitation unit. This mobile facility, which integrates source separation for sanitation, showers, and cooking, is soon to be deployed to Ukraine demonstrating the practical, humanitarian potential of these systems.
Throughout the summit, dynamic exchanges between sessions led to new knowledge, fresh ideas, and a stronger international network focused on source-separated and decentralized wastewater systems.
The message is clear: source separation is not just technically feasible—it’s already happening. And the ANCHOR project is showing how to make it work.