Wastewater can power our batteries in the future

Ever wondered what happens to all that dirty toilet water that gets flushed? For starters it has been treated and then used in nuclear plants, as well as in cities that rely on the toilet-to-tap technology, and even breweries that turn the toilet water into biogas that powers their facilities (not to worry, the water does not go into your beer!). Thanks to research and advances in technology, the very toilet water you flush down the toilet may soon be powering your batteries.

Thanks to the efforts of environmental researcher, Bruce Logan, microbial fuel cells are being developed that use the bacteria found in wastewater. The bacteria will eat the organic waste and in turn produces electrons, and Logan’s fuel cells will collect those electrons via carbon bristles. The electrons can then be used to power household appliances such as light bulbs and ceiling fans.

Unfortunately at the moment the microbial fuel cells aren’t efficient enough to be widely used, but Logan is optimistic that five to ten years they will be efficient enough to not only power the waste stations that collect them, but also efficient enough to power neighboring towns.

Kind of makes you stop and think the next time you flush your toilet, doesn’t it?