FACT SHEET Project name: Setting up a non-profit water and nutrient-testing laboratory

The Shree Krishna Gyan Mandir Water and Nutrient Testing Laboratory and Research Centre was opened in August 2013 in Patna, Bihar, through a collaboration between the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Institute (WASHi). The non-profit facility provides high-standard analyses of water quality and the nutrient content of 'humanure' products—including treated urine, greywater, and liquid from composting toilets—to provide scientific credibility for ecological sanitation (ecosan) models. The laboratory follows National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) guidelines, can perform 30 analyses per day, and offers services to civil society, schools, and communities to support water conservation and public health. Initial findings from the lab have confirmed the presence of arsenic in wells across Bihar. To ensure long-term sustainability, the laboratory employs a cost-recovery tariff for operational expenses and offers training courses, while seeking statutory accreditation to increase its professional status and client base.

• The Shree Krishna Gyan Mandir Water and Nutrient Testing Laboratory and Research Centre, opened in mid-August 2013 in Patna, provides a unique service in Bihar by testing the nutrient content of 'humanure' products (treated urine, greywater, and liquid from composting toilets) to compare them with commercial agricultural chemicals.
• The laboratory supports the broader goal of embedding sustainable sanitation in state policy by providing scientific credibility to ecological sanitation (ecosan) claims, where excreta are treated for reuse as soil conditioner and fertilizer.
• Initial water testing conducted by the facility has identified the presence of arsenic in wells within communities throughout Bihar.
• To maintain financial viability and retain personnel, the laboratory uses a tariff based on operational costs, supplements income through training courses for schools, and is pursuing statutory accreditation to meet client demand.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). FACT SHEET Project name: Setting up a non-profit water and nutrient-testing laboratory. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-patnalab.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. FACT SHEET Project name: Setting up a non-profit water and nutrient-testing laboratory. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-patnalab.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=FACT SHEET Project name: Setting up a non-profit water and nutrient-testing laboratory |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-patnalab.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014fact, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{FACT SHEET Project name: Setting up a non-profit water and nutrient-testing laboratory}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-patnalab.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }