The Cowater Flush Tank & Haul® System

What is It?

It's a water and sanitation system specially developed in the harsh climate of Alaska for rural northern villages and communities. It provides running water in the home and safe removal of sewage using a flush toilet. It gets rid of the honeybucket system of waste disposal, which is burdensome and very unsanitary. Cowater's Flush Tank & Haul® System eliminates both of these problems.

Cowater's system provides each home with:

  • a flush toilet and hand basin
  • a water tank
  • a sewage tank
  • kitchen sink, shower and bath hook-up are optional
  • an operator in each community delivers water and removes sewage for safe disposal.

Advantages

  • provides running water and flush toilet
  • easy and economical to install
  • simple to operate and maintain
  • no pipes in the ground to freeze
  • uses small haul tanks for water and sewage, which are towed by ATV or snowmobile
  • easy to winterise if the house is vacated
  • water can be self-hauled by homeowner to reduce costs
  • promotes village pride and health

Water Supply

A water haul tank fitted with hook-ups provides the water supply to an inside water storage tank. The water storage tank is fitted with a pressure pump and filter. Filtered water is piped to the toilet, hand basin, kitchen, shower and bath.

Sewage Disposal

Cowater's Flush Tank & Haul® System uses a one pint flush ceramic toilet. This toilet is emptied to a super insulated outside sewage holding tank. All waste is transferred to the outside sewage holding tank either by gravity, or, in the case of houses low to the ground, a specially designed transfer tank system.

Consulting Training

Cowater works with each village to assess conditions in detail and provide a system designed to meet its specific needs. We install the system and assist the villages to operate and manage their system.

Operation 

The hauling of water and sewage is carried out by an operator using the special water and sewage haul tanks provided to the project.

Management 

Cowater provides a simple and effective Management Board and general management system to manage the operation of their water and sewage haul systems.

  • Gets rid of the honeybucket
  • Provides Running Water and a Flush Toilet
  • Promotes Village Pride and Health

For more information, please contact us.