MX04 MiaoXia Ecological Septic Tank 2017

For centuries, the local sanitation custom in Miaoxia relied on the village’s pig house, where manure of human and pig are stored and regularly delivered to fertilise farmlands. However, this manual sanitation practice poses potential hygiene risks and is labour inefficient, especially inconven- ient for the elderly residence.

In response, an ecological septic tank is proposed to operate in harmony with the local habitat and offers productive landscape possibilities. Miaoxia septic tank is a low-tech sanitation system treating wastes from modern showers and toilets of the adjacent guesthouse and neighbouring households. This underground system is equipped with a micro power and piping system demonstrating a new sanitation system in rural area. During the course of this project, various participants including villagers, designers, social workers and an ecological consultant actively contributed through cross- disciplinary collaboration.