According to WHO (World Health Organization, 1950), environmental sanitation refers all
condition that affect health, including the control of water supply, excreta and wastewater
disposal, refuse disposal, housing condition, food protection, atmospheric conditions and the
safety of the working environment.
Sanitation may be defined as the science and practice of effecting healthful and
hygienic conditions and involves the study and use of hygienic measures such as:
Safe, reliable water supply;
Proper drainage of wastewater;
Proper disposal of all human wastes;
Prompt refusal of all refuse.
OBJECTIVES OF SANITATION
The principal objectives of providing sanitary facilities are:
To have improved public health
To minimize environmental pollution
TYPES OF SANITATION SYSTEM
Based on the fact, whether the waste is stored, treated and disposed of at the
point of generation or transported to somewhere else for treatment and / or disposal,
sanitation systems may be divided into the following two categories –
On-site systems Off-site systems
Based on the methods of collection and conveyance, sanitation systems are of the
following types –
Dry systems Wet systems
Based on the fact, whether the systems allows infiltration, sanitation systems are of
two types as follows –
Permeable / Unconfined systems Confined systems
ON-SITE SANITATION SYSTEMS
(FOR RURAL & LOW INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES)
Wastes are collected, treated and disposed of at the point of generation.
Examples are – pit latrines and septic tank systems.
Widely used in rural areas of both developed and developing countries, even in urban areas in absence of costly
sewerage systems.
Modification of this system includes ventilated pit latrine, pour-flush single and double-pit latrines, aqua privies,
septic tanks and so on.
The principles of on-site system are-
--Infiltration of liquids into the soil.
--Solids are retained, digested aerobically and have to be removed or a new pit has to be dug at regular intervals.
--It is primarily designed to dispose of human excreta.
--Wastewaters from cooking, clothes washing and bathing are collected in small drains & disposed of in soak ways
for infiltration.
--This system is most suitable for sparsely settled rural areas with low population density and low water
consumption because of the system’s dependence on the infiltration capacity of the soil for the disposal of the liquid
portion of excreta.
--This system is not feasible for areas with high population density, high water consumption, and low infiltration rate
of soil or high groundwater table.
OFF-SITE SANITATION SYSTEMS
Waste is collected and transported to somewhere else for treatment and disposal
E.g. bucket latrine systems and conventional sewerage systems.
The basic elements of this system are collection, transportation, treatment and disposal
and/or reuse.
The waste is collected either through house sewers or manually using buckets or vaults;
transported either by cart, truck or sewer system to a suitable distant place where it is treated
prior to disposal or reuse.
Collection and transportation of the wastes through a sewer reticulation system requires that
the waste be diluted by water. It is essential, piped water supply be available in areas where this
system is to be applied.
This waterborne system is by far the most satisfactory system of waste disposal provided
sufficient funds are available for its construction and maintenance.
DRY SANITATION SYSTEMS
In dry systems no water is used for dilution of the wastes.
They are usually applied in unsewered areas with no piped water supply, e.g., pit latrine
systems
(on-site) and bucket latrine systems (off-site).
WET SANITATION SYSTEMS
-- In the wet system, the waste is diluted with flushes of water
-- Suitable where piped water supply systems are available, e.g., septic tank systems (on-site) and
conventional sewerage systems (off-site)
PERMEABLE/UNCONFINED SYSTEMS
The liquid part of the wastes is allowed to infiltrate.
Cause potential pollution of the groundwater.
Example - pit latrines.
CONFINED SYSTEMS
The liquid portion of the wastes is not allowed to infiltrate into the ground.
No potential for groundwater pollution.
Example – aqua privies, septic tanks etc.
CRITERIA FOR GOOD SANITATION SYSTEM
Simple and inexpensive in construction and operation
Should not contaminate surface soil, surface water or groundwater
Minimum handling of excreta and free from odor and unsightly conditions
No access to flies, insects and animals
Should use little or no water
Should require little supervision and maintenance
Should handle all waste and wastewater
Should use little or no mechanical equipment
Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrine
TYPES::Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrine
• Potential groundwater pollution
