Water, Sewage & Effluent November December 2018 | Page 41

“Overall, the goal of improved sanitation
is to separate humans from their waste,
and full pit toilets or improperly cleaned
or managed toilets do not fulfil that
need. Development of operations and
Water Sewage & Effluent November/December 2018
39
innovations
logistics, technical insufficiency, and political and
social issues. Thus, there are people in the country
who still lack improved sanitation or any sanitation
system at all,” she explains.
Neethling describes full waterborne sanitation in
urban areas and ventilated improved pit (VIP) toilets
in rural and peri-urban areas as some of the common
sanitation systems in the country. “Many people with
VIP toilets aspire to full waterborne sanitation, but in
this water-scarce context, it is simply not practical
or possible. There has been considerable innovation
in sanitation in recent years, which has led to more
options, such as pour flush toilets, composting
toilets (for example urine diverting toilets), and other
innovations,” she elaborates.
However, seeing innovative technologies adopted
at a national scale will require insight into challenges
around social acceptance and the establishment
of economic feasibility. Some municipalities have
looked at alternatives and have implemented them.
She believes this will pave the way for others to
follow suit. People prioritise what they think is
important, but “many people simply do not realise the
immense importance of proper sanitation. Therefore,
in order to get buy-in from the right people, you first
need to convince them why sanitation is important. In
training that we’ve done with school cleaners and pit
emptiers, this starts by establishing the potential risks
to their health as well as the health of their families.
To get people to understand the general importance
of sanitation, we first try to make them aware of the
personal importance of sanitation. Research is also
an effective way to communicate the importance of
sanitation, as this provides quantitative evidence,”
she shares.
“The other often neglected aspect of sanitation is
operations and maintenance. Since many people still
do not have any form of improved sanitation at all, there
is a huge focus on service delivery of infrastructure,
while the maintenance needs of sanitation solutions
are often neglected and not planned for. While some
municipalities have recognised the importance of
operations and maintenance of on-site systems
(including pit emptying), many do not plan for this
important aspect. Many planners do not understand
exactly what is required to properly manage on-site
sanitation once the infrastructure is delivered and
therefore do not budget for it,” she observes.
“Overall, the goal of improved sanitation is to
separate humans from their waste, and full pit
Jeanette Neethling, PID
systems is an important aspect.”
maintenance measures of sanitation