Sanitation based on dehydration prevents pollution, destroys pathogens and recycles human excreta as fertiliser . These systems seem to be an effective method to deal with human excreta because they keep faeces that contain pathogen causing diseases in a small volume in a closed Environment for a long time in order to be sanitised before reuse. Not only they prevent pathogens and nutrients entering into water bodies, but they also produce an end product that is rich in nutrient and is a good soil conditioner.

As mentioned before, these systems have been increasingly applied in many parts of the world mostly in rural areas and small communities. Experts working in the field have made mostly positive experiences. Especially in dry climates dehydration toilets have been found effective regarding pathogens destruction, volume reduction of faecal material and maintenance. In dehydration toilets there is less chance of flies breading and odour development since faecal materials are dried by solar heater and by adding dry materials.

Many years of practical experience, technological development have shown that resource management sanitation based on dehydration is an effective means to convert human excreta into fertiliser and soil conditioner as well as to destroy pathogens. To maximise efficiency, both of pathogen destruction and of nutrient reuse the systems should be provided with separate collection of urine and faeces at source. So far the effective methods for pathogens destruction in faecal material are dehydration and high pH. By the addition of dry materials (ash, soil, lime) moisture is absorbed and pH is raised. Solar heating accelerates the dehydration.