DRY TOILETS AS A SANITATION SOLUTION IN MAKANA MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICA

DRY TOILETS AS A SANITATION SOLUTION IN MAKANA MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICA ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS

ABSTRACT

The aim of this thesis is to assist Makana Municipality in their work to develop the sanitation in the rural areas, with the focus on dry toilets. This thesis will try to answer the question of which type of dry sanitation solution would suit the rural areas in Makana Municipality and, therefore, it presents two possible types of toilets.

The recommendations in this thesis are based upon the feasibility study that was done from November to December 2011 by Henna Timonen and Sofie Lundin from Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborg, Finland. Information was gathered through interviews and site visits. The collected results from the visits are presented in this thesis.

The recommendation is to start with implementing composting dry toilets in the schools, where education plays a vital role. The composted waste can be utilized as fertilizer, thus also helping the finances of the schools. Since the rural areas of Makana are vast and hard to reach, the sanitation solution cannot be too technical, since support for this cannot be given. Ventilated improved pit latrines could be advisable in areas with proper soil conditions, it would be an improvement from open defecation, but composting dry toilets would be more beneficial, if implemented with enough education on use and management.

1 Introduction

The aim of this thesis is to assist Makana Municipality in their work to develop the sanitation in the rural areas, with the focus on dry toilets. This thesis will present recommendations for dry sanitation systems, since different solutions can be suited for different places, depending on type of soil, placement or use. In addition to this, ideas on how to educate residents to use and maintain the toilets will be given. This thesis will try to answer the question of which type of dry sanitation solution would suit the rural areas in Makana Municipality and base these recommendations on the feasibility study that was completed in the spring of 2012 by students from Novia University of Applied Sciences.

The world’s sanitation problems cannot be solved by building water latrines and sewerage systems. The building and maintenance costs are too high and, furthermore, this infrastructure cannot ensure a clean environment. The necessary quantity and quality of water for such a solution cannot be found in many regions of the world. It is preferable to find a sanitation solution that both works well, and is cheap and as simple as possible, both in the implementation stage and in use.

United Nations Economic and Social Council stated already in 1958 that “no higher quality of water, unless there is a surplus of it, should be used for a purpose that can tolerate a lower grade.” Therefore, it is necessary to develop cheap, technically simple and safe sanitation alternatives, which can be adjusted to meet the needs of different cultures and environments. It is also necessary to increase sanitation and hygiene education for understanding of the connections between human and environment health (de Ruyter van Steveninck E.D. & Schwartz K., 2004).

DRY TOILETS AS A SANITATION SOLUTION IN MAKANA MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICA ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS