Designing local solutions for emptying pit latrines in low-income urban settlements (Malawi)

Publication date: Available online 21 February 2017 Source:Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C Author(s): W.C. Chipeta, R.H. Holm, J.F. Kamanula, W.E. Mtonga, F.L. de los Reyes A lack of effective options in local technology poses challenges when onsite household sanitation facilities are eventually filled to capacity in unplanned settlement areas within Mzuzu City, located in northern Malawi. Vacuum tankers currently dominate the market but focus on emptying septic tanks in the more easily accessible planned settlement areas, rather than servicing the pit latrines common in unplanned settlement areas. As a result, households in the unplanned settlement areas within Mzuzu rely primarily on manual pit emptying (i.e., shoveling by hand) or digging a new pit latrine. These practices have associated health risks and are limited by space constraints. This research focused on filling the technological gap through the design, development and testing of a pedal powered modified Gulper pump using locally available materials and fabrication. A modified pedal powered Gulper technology was developed and demonstrated to be capable of lifting fecal sludge from a depth of 1.5 m with a mean flow rate of 0.00058 m3/s. If the trash content was low, a typical pit latrine with a volume of 1 to 4 m3 could be emptied within 1 to 2 hours. Based on the findings in our research Phase IV, the pedal powered Gulper modification is promising as a potential emptying technology for pit l...
Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - Category: Science Source Type: research