sustainable sanitation and the environment

IST March 2004 Dan Retz

Sustainable Sanitation in Armenia

March 2004 ISTDan Retz


Presentation Objectives

• To discuss the importance of sanitation for the health of the people and the health of the environment

• To discuss possible solutions for “Sustainable Sanitation” in Armenia

• Open discussion


4 Requirements for Human Civilization

Clean Water

Food Security

Sanitation

Shelter


Sanitation Is Practiced to Prevent Disease and Promote Health. Practiced Successfully, the

Result Would Be Healthy People and a Healthy Environment.

Sanitation

Access to water

Attitudes

Safe DispositionOf Excreta

Solid and IndustrialWaste mgmt.

Education


The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than

25,000 people throughout the world die every day from waterborne diseases. Every year, nearly 1.5

billion people (mostly children under five) suffer from preventable

waterborne diseases• Cholera• Typhoid Fever• Yellow Fever• Malaria


No single measure would do more to reduce disease and save lives in the developing world

than bringing safe water and sanitation to all. Kofi Annan UN Secretary General


What are the options?

• Pit Latrines• Sewers and treatment plants• Composting

IST March 2004 Dan RetzNon-Functioning Sewage Treatment Plant


Leaking Broken Sewer PipesWithin 3 meters of the sidewalk(health disaster due Disease vectors andPollution!)

Not to mention theStink!


Raw Sewage from broken pipes


Cost Nutrient Recycling

Comfort

(inside or not)

Pollutes ground water

Water

Use

Odor Sustainable

Pit Latrine

Sewer System

Composting

* *

System Comparison

* Depending on operation

= Best = Worst= Fair


What is Composting?

Bacteria ProtoplasmC5H702N

+

CH4 MethaneNH3 AmmoniaH2S Hydrogen SulfurPO4 PhosphatesH20 Water

C, O, H, N, P, S

Anaerobic

Aerobic

C, O, H, N, P, SBacteria ProtoplasmC5H702N+02

enzymes

enzymesCO2 Carbon DioxideH20 WaterNO3 NitratesPO4 PhosphatesS04 Sulfates

+


What is Composting?• Composting is simply the method of breaking down

organic materials. Bacteria and fungi, and small invertebrates help to complete the process.

• Composting can convert organic waste into rich, dark colored material, or humus, in a matter of a few weeks or months.

• Natural composting, or decomposition, occurs all the time in the natural world.

• Composting can take place in the forest, as well as in heap or a container


• Closes the “organic loop”

Soil Bacteria Plants Animals

• Converts “wastes” into usable products at the point of creation

What does Composting do for You?

• Keeping N and P in the soil (fertilizer)

• Keeps N and P out of water which would cause pollution

• Produces fertilizer for farmland or in the garden


Who Does it?• Composting of human waste is an ancient practice

– It is only in the last 30 years that systems for modern living have been designed and commercialized for the modern domestic home environment. (Sweden has pioneered these systems).

• It’s not a developing country solution…

–Sweden’s province of Tanum is converting to composting toilets to reduce pollution of beaches and damage to fisheries, AND because it’s cheaper than conventional sewering


How do you do it?

• Provide an environment that isolates excrement from disease vectors

• The correct amount of water

• Sufficient oxygen

• The optimum pH level of the compost is between 5.5 and 8.

• C:N Ratio (25:1 to 30:1)


3 Basic Toilet Configurations • Sawdust toilet

– Basically a bucket is kept in the house and emptied weekly into an outdoor compost bin

• Batch composting

–Larger containers (200 l) are used for the entire composting process and alternated as needed (about every 3 or 4 months)

• Continuous composting

–One larger specialized container that needs to be turned and emptied regularly


Project Goals

Requirements:

• Must be affordable• Can be built easily and cheaply by HCNs with minimal training• All material must be sourced locally ( In Armenia)• Must provide tangible benefits to Armenians

– More comfortable, as the toilet can be installed inside the house– Compost will provide many benefits to the user’s garden (fertilizer,

moisture retention)

Goal #1

To provide a cheap, safe, environmentally friendly method of waste recycling that will work in rural Armenia.

Goal #2

Use the successful (I hope) toilet project to educate communities about other aspects of resource recycling

I have designed this project using the batch composting method for many reasons, although the other options are just as feasible


2nd Floor

Exhaust PipeW/ fan

25 cmWater pipe

LaundryTub

RecycledWine barrel

1st Floor


Option #1


Option #2FanVentilation


Composting Chamber


Composting “Bag”


Details…• I am in the process of building a working

prototype of each design shown, one in my house and one in my neighbor’s house. They should be completed by mid-April.

• Habitat for Humanity is interested in incorporating these designs into their housing projects this spring

• All materials are sourced locally and are affordable.

• Easy to build


Other Projects?• How can we apply the knowledge and

experience gained from this project to other environmental projects?

• Other projects include :– recycling and solid waste management– Used motor oil recycling– Erosion control– Scrap metal recycling

For any environmental project to be successful, there needs to be atangible benefit ($$$$) to the user!


How do we bring Change?

• For example, how American’s attitude changed between 1950 and 1990

–Schools

–Family and Community Members

–Observations in the Community (how do others behave)

–Culture

• Things that affect attitudes:

• We need to teach the ideas of sustainable development

• People need to be educated how to work with the biological processes of nature opposed to viewing the environment as an infinite resource to be exploited


Society Needs to Face Their Responsibility for Taking Good

Care of the Most Precious Resources: Water and Fertile

Soil.

Contact info: Dan Retz (66) 2 – 37 –61 or [email protected]

sustainable sanitation and the environment

Technology

natural composting

composting chamber

composting bag

batch composting method

entire composting process

months continuous composting

safe water

sustainable sanitation