Seminar of experience sharing on EcoSan toilet in Bangladesh

27 September 2011, JICA Bangladesh office

Experiences on the Urine Diverting Latrine (UDL) and EcoSan toilet in emergency

Mohammad Ali Public Health Engineer Oxfam

What is EcoSan Toilet and UDL?

Ecosan toilets is the toilet that collect faeces and urine separately and starting to recycle them as organic fertilizer in a systematic way.

Urine Diverting Latrine (UDL) is a toilet that operates with/without water and has a divider so that the user, with little effort can divert the urine and anal cleansing water away from the faeces.
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Why EcoSan Toilet or UDL?

Problem with conventional sanitation system Pit latrine is the most common and low-cost option Not environment friendly Difficult to desludging Pit latrine is not Appropriate sanitation technology in different hydro-geological areas in case of : The high water table flood prone areas water scarce Barind area and hill districts low land and haor areas Pit latrine is not disaster resilient as: every year Bangladesh inundates over 20% to 70% areas sedimentation of a riverMohammad Ali, Public Health leads to water logging 3-9 months a year Engr. Engineer, Oxfam cyclone occurred every after 1.5 years 4 cyclones since 2007

Why EcoSan Toilet or UDL?

Merits of EcoSan Toilet or UDL Separation of urine and anal cleansing water from feces reduces potential odors Increases pit life Urine is diverted and collected in a container, so user could use the urine as fertilizer and when necessary Ensure sustainability. Farmers who have experienced high yields with fertilizer are more likely to buy the latrines themselves and encourage others as well. Toilets offer minimal hygienic risk with proper management. Users have to apply ash/sand over the feces and perform anal cleansing in the designated separated pan to ensure that feces Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam container remains dry and kills pathogens.

Oxfam initiative so far

In search of latrine solution for Flood prone area Emergency sanitation option Top WatSan 2008-09 & WASH Innovation Fund project 2009 -11

Project area Information Total District 04 (Sirajgonj, Gaibandha , Kurigram, Jessore ) Total Sub-district 04 (Chouhali, Sundargonj , Kurigram sadar, Monirampur & Satkhira) Total Union 05 (Ghorjan, Belka, Panch gachi , Moghalbasa, Mashim Nagar & Paddmapukur) Optional information

EcoSan Latrine 65 Low cost UDL (single pit) 45 Low cost UDL (double pit) 9
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health EmergencyOxfam 80 Engineer, UDL-

Experiences on EcoSan toilet

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

EcoSan toilet
Special Features Two separate chambers for accumulation of feces Chamber allowing feces to convert to compost Separate pan for urine and anal cleaning water In-built system ensuring separate storage of faeces, urine and anal cleaning water Functional all the time (before, during and after flood) Long term use Limited damage during and after flood Urine for plant nutrients and feces for compost fertilizer and excellent soil conditioner Desludging is not required

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Cost BDT 18,000

EcoSan toilet

Advantages Prevent ground water pollution even in high water table area and minimize infectious diseases Urine and faeces can be used to produce fertilizer to be used in agricultural purpose Feces play soil conditioning role and improve soil health Useful in places where water is inadequate Cost effective considering durability, pay back and easy operation and maintenance Disadvantages Need more space than traditional latrines Need to be careful about not letting water into feces chamber Poor families are unable to invest such an amount of initial cost for the latrine Construction is more complicated than pit latrine Ali, Public Health Engr. Mohammad
Engineer, Oxfam

Experiences on Urine Diversion Latrine (UDL)

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Low Cost Single Pit UDL

Special Features Single and twin, both pit can be used In-built system which ensures separate storage of feces, urine and anal cleaning water Appropriate for flood (before, during and after flood) Urine is used as plant nutrient and feces as soil conditioner Easy maintenance Desludging required for single pit but frequency is Cost Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health reduced
Engineer, Oxfam

BDT 7,000

Low Cost Single Pit UDL

Advantages Can be installed using precast ring and slab, with which the community is used to. Prevent ground water contamination and reduce infectious diseases Cost is lower than that of other technologies Urine can be used as plant nutrient Increase pit life Disadvantages Construction is more complicated than that of the pit latrines Need attention about not letting water into feces chamber In some cases, the user feels uneasy Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engr. using this latrine rather than ring slab latrine Engineer, Oxfam

Low Cost Double Pit UDL

Special Features Double Pit Pre-cast Slab with pan Bottom and all joints are sealed
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Cost BDT 7,500

Urine use as crop nutrient

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Emergency Urine Diversion Latrine

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Dismountable Structure

- easily mountable and dismountable frame - frame and squat pan & slab can be manufactured before emergency and can be kept as contingency stock - whole set can be stored and transported just after emergency - In-built system which ensures separate storage of faeces, urine and cleaning water

Cost BDT 25,000

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

 Bio degradable bag has been introduced to collect faeces. Each bio bag is able to carry 10kg. Bag is changing one day interval.

Excreta caring van

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Each dumping chamber is for 40HH@5latrines. It is designed to decompose the human excreta within 60 days.
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

It has the aeration mechanism inside it which helps faeces to decompose.

It has two units - Collected Human sludge has been dumped in refuse chute into chamber. - A soak pit is also constructed to dump collected urine from UD toilets.

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Faeces Collection and Dispose System of Emergency Urine Diversion Latrine

Collection of Faeces and Urine Disposal

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Findings:
Community people accepted the system and using encouragingly. Lac of ventilation system created strong foul smell inside bio bag. Lac of strong grip with the ground wiped out UD toilets at high wind. Bad smell from dumping station bothered near community people. Uncountable flies borne inside the dumping site if water penetrates the chamber or ash is not used appositely. Lac of bio bag production in country delayed the implementation of the project. Plastic injecting mould could not be managed within the country.
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Challenges:
It is unstable in high wind. Not user friendly for disable & old people unless future modification. Salty ground (rust) cause damage to any iron made structure.

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

UDL Floating Emergency Latrine

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

3 in Muschim 1 in Kalaroa

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Front View of UDL Floating Emergency Latrine

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Side View of UDL Floating Emergency Latrine

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Side View of UDL Floating Emergency Latrine

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Special Features:
-It is UDL latrine (separate container for solid, urine and cleansing water) - A replaceable container to accumulate excreta - Two containers with filter media to treat cleansing water - Separate jerrycane to store urine - empty containers act as buoyant - In-built system ensuring separate storage of feces, urine and anal cleaning water - Functional all the time on the water (before, during and after flood) - Appropriate for water logged, flood prone areas - Long-term use - Urine for plant nutrients Engr. Cost - Excreta disposal is required Mohammad Ali, Public Health BDT 24,000 Engineer, Oxfam

Field findings:
All latrines functioning smoothly Higher cost than normal latrine New technology for users Moving for anal cleaning after defecation is a bit hassle Relevant stakeholders at national level so excited to replicate even in urban slum Accepted by community

Recommendation:
Recommended only for emergency situation in water body area. The promotion of the concept is demanded. Community highly accepted.
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam

Thank you
Engr. Mohammad Ali, Public Health Engineer, Oxfam