Authors :
Rabson Banda; Dr. Joel Kabika
Volume/Issue :
Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/45xwdtwz
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/5n8jkm33
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR085
Abstract :
Pit latrine emptying is an important
maintenance practice meant to increase a toilet's
lifespan. However, the presence of solid waste in faecal
sludge pose a great challenge during pit emptying, faecal
sludge treatment and processing. Recent studies have
demonstrated that solid wastes cause pits to fill up at a
faster rate, destruct faecal sludge decomposition, and
cause damage to emptying devices by blocking machine
parts, and in some cases breaking them. When such
occurs, emptying devices are usually withdrawn to
manually remove the trapped debris, causing a loss of
valuable time and reductions in daily revenue. One way
of averting the adverse effects of solid wastes in pit
latrines is by preventing them from mixing with faecal
sludge in the pit. Therefore, the study aimed to design,
develop and test an infrastructure intervention that
would exclude solid waste from pit latrine faecal sludge.
The study used a quantitative approach in which
experimental methods were used to collect primary data.
The methodology included the design, fabrication, and
installation of a solid waste screening unit on a pit latrine.
The screening unit was positioned directly below the
squat hole to intercept solid waste while allowing excreta
to pass through it. The unit was tested on a pit latrine that
was used by 20 individuals over a period of 120 days,
after which mass measurements of the intercepted solid
wastes were done. The data obtained was analysed using
Microsoft Excel 2016 version. It was found that the
screening unit was capable of intercepting 88.2±0.6 % of
the solid waste that entered the toilet through the squat
hole. This confirmed that although behavioral, and
education interventions have been conducted, there was
little change in behavior towards the dumping of solid
wastes in pit latrines. The study also showed that
installing solid waste screening systems in future pit
latrines can be one way of preventing solid wastes from
mixing with pit latrine faecal sludge. These findings
suggest that incorporating solid waste screening systems
into future pit latrines could effectively prevent solid
waste from mixing with faecal sludge. This intervention
promises to complement existing behavioral and
educational interventions prevalent in many developing
countries. The study's application and findings promise
improvements in faecal sludge management during pit
emptying, treatment, and processing, thereby enhancing
public health outcomes.
Keywords :
Infrastructure Intervention, Solid Waste, Exclusion, Pit Latrine, Faecal Sludge
Pit latrine emptying is an important
maintenance practice meant to increase a toilet's
lifespan. However, the presence of solid waste in faecal
sludge pose a great challenge during pit emptying, faecal
sludge treatment and processing. Recent studies have
demonstrated that solid wastes cause pits to fill up at a
faster rate, destruct faecal sludge decomposition, and
cause damage to emptying devices by blocking machine
parts, and in some cases breaking them. When such
occurs, emptying devices are usually withdrawn to
manually remove the trapped debris, causing a loss of
valuable time and reductions in daily revenue. One way
of averting the adverse effects of solid wastes in pit
latrines is by preventing them from mixing with faecal
sludge in the pit. Therefore, the study aimed to design,
develop and test an infrastructure intervention that
would exclude solid waste from pit latrine faecal sludge.
The study used a quantitative approach in which
experimental methods were used to collect primary data.
The methodology included the design, fabrication, and
installation of a solid waste screening unit on a pit latrine.
The screening unit was positioned directly below the
squat hole to intercept solid waste while allowing excreta
to pass through it. The unit was tested on a pit latrine that
was used by 20 individuals over a period of 120 days,
after which mass measurements of the intercepted solid
wastes were done. The data obtained was analysed using
Microsoft Excel 2016 version. It was found that the
screening unit was capable of intercepting 88.2±0.6 % of
the solid waste that entered the toilet through the squat
hole. This confirmed that although behavioral, and
education interventions have been conducted, there was
little change in behavior towards the dumping of solid
wastes in pit latrines. The study also showed that
installing solid waste screening systems in future pit
latrines can be one way of preventing solid wastes from
mixing with pit latrine faecal sludge. These findings
suggest that incorporating solid waste screening systems
into future pit latrines could effectively prevent solid
waste from mixing with faecal sludge. This intervention
promises to complement existing behavioral and
educational interventions prevalent in many developing
countries. The study's application and findings promise
improvements in faecal sludge management during pit
emptying, treatment, and processing, thereby enhancing
public health outcomes.
Keywords :
Infrastructure Intervention, Solid Waste, Exclusion, Pit Latrine, Faecal Sludge
