In this introduction to faecal sludge management, you've
learned a lot about different elements that need to be considered
and integrated into one system.
Including treatment objectives, multiple technologies, operations
and maintenance, resource recovery, quantification and characterization,
financial considerations, legal frameworks and planning.
In this module I'm gonna provide you with an example of a city
where these aspects have all been applied in a systems level approach.
for an innovative adaptive and integrated approach
to faecal sludge management.
Following this module, you will be able to distinguish different
approaches to faecal sludge management taken in Durban.
Identify examples of what has worked in the service chain in Durban
and consider how management examples could be applied in other locations.
Now I will take you to the city of Durban, South Africa with Ethekwini
municipality that employs an approach to faecal sludge management
that is innovative, adaptive, and integrated.
We'll start the story in August 2000 when a cholera outbreak started
in the KwaZulu-Natal province where Durban is located.
During one year there were over 100 000 cases with 260 deaths.
A positive outcome of this unfortunate crisis was that
it brought funding and recognition to sanitation and lead to a policy
review and propagation of a national sanitation policy in 2001.
Also in 2001, the current Ethekwini municipality was formed
when the boundaries of the previous Durban, what is now Central Durban
were greatly expanded.
With this change the city went from 1400 sq. km to 2600 sq. km.
The new boundaries were very complex.
Demographically, geographically, and in terms of existing infrastructure.
They include urban, peri urban, and rural areas.
Of 3 million residents in 2001 it was estimated that 1 million
did not have water or sanitation services.
Another million was supplied with severely rundown services,
and 1 million had a high level of service with flush toilets
and tap water.
In addition, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are rife.
Poverty is high. And it is a water scarce region.
In South Africa national policy states that all people have a right
to basic and free sanitation and water.
eThekwini Water and Sanitation or EWS was now faced with
fulfilling the right of basic sanitation to everyone within
new boundaries.
In addition, the new Durban metropolitan area is undergoing
rapid growth. The goal of eThekwini was to find solutions that would
satisfy everyone, but they had to act immediately
and could not wait for perfect solutions before doing anything.
Solutions needed to be developed and perfected over time.
EWS set the following wash guiding principles:
working within the boundaries of a water-scarce environment by
linking sanitation systems to water supply; following the law of ecosan
by investigating ways in which nutrients can be recovered for use
in agriculture. Ensuring that implementation is backed by sound
scientific research through creating partnerships with local
and international organisations.
Regularly interacting with the people they serve to ensure
two-way communication and awareness through an extensive
educational outreach program. And sharing of expertise with other
municipalities through the MILE initiative.
EWS also instituted a business approach to management.
First built on the basis of their own human resources to ensure
adequate capacity.
Then building on that foundation with a key focus on customer service.
If customers are happy, they will pay for their services, so you can
generate adequate revenue to run your business.
Revenue then needs to be spent on asset management and network
expansion.
EWS came up with a multi-faceted approach that included waterborne
sanitation in a dense urban center where a sewer was possible,
shown by the blue lines in this figure. Dry toilets outside of this
area where sewers would never be accessible due to the terrain and
population density.
Septic tanks were home owners wanting to take responsibility to
install them. An ablution blocks for informal settlements.
An integrated approach does not only mean multidisciplinary,
it means employing different solutions throughout an area
that are appropriate for our context into one integrated overall
management solution.
With the increased boundaries, EWS also inherited responsibility
for 35 000 pit latrines that became a management problem as they became
full. And most were in areas that are difficult to access with trucks.
An emptying model was piloted and then scaled up.
And currently the existing pit latrines are emptied by EWS
on a five years cycle.
Starting in 2002 for sanitation provision outside the area that could
be served by the sewer, EWS implemented an innovative solution
with urine diversion toilets.
These were two chamber systems with alternate usage and storage
the urine going to a soakaway.
This technology was selected as it was expected that during
containment sludge would degrade, become dry and spadable
and have reduced pathogens, so people could manage faecal sludge
themselves instead of relying on emptying services.
Most of these areas are very difficult to access by truck.
There was a massive rollout at these innovative new toilets with 1000
installations per month. And 75 000 built by 2011.
As shown in this figure, this included an intensive monitoring
and evaluation program. That included effectiveness of the
community education program. Community acceptance,
maintenance by households, and quality and durability of
construction and hygiene.
Reported problems included dissatisfaction with odors,
doors, vault covers, vent pipes and poor construction.
Problems that were all addressed by EWS.