Sanitation
Table of Content
- Wastewater collection
- Wastewater treatment
- Reuse of wastewater
- Ecological sanitation
- Sanitation and public health
- Global access to improved sanitation
- References
- Resources
- Related Articles
Wastewater collection
The standard sanitation technology in urban areas is the collection of wastewater in sewers, its treatment in wastewater treatment plants for reuse or disposal in rivers, lakes or the sea. Sewers are either combined with storm drains or separated from them as sanitary sewers. Combined sewers are usually found in the central, older parts or urban areas. Heavy rainfall and inadequate maintenance can lead to combined sewer overflows or sanitary sewer overflows, i.e. more or less diluted raw sewage being discharged into the environment. Industries often discharge wastewater into municipal sewers, which can complicate wastewater treatment unless industries pre-treat their discharges.[3]
The high investment cost of conventional wastewater collection systems are difficult to afford for many developing countries. Some countries have therefore promoted alternative wastewater collection systems such as condominial sewerage, which uses smaller diameter pipes at lower depth with different network layouts from conventional sewerage.
Wastewater treatment
Sewage treatment plant, Australia.
In developed countries, the treatment of municipal wastewater is now widespread,[4] but not yet universal . In developing countries most wastewater is still discharged, untreated, into the environment. For example, in Latin America only about 15% of collected sewerage is being treated.
Reuse of wastewater
The reuse of untreated wastewater in irrigated agriculture is common in developing countries. The reuse of treated wastewater in landscaping (esp. on golf courses), irrigated agriculture and for industrial use is becoming increasingly widespread.
In many peri-urban and rural areas households are not connected to sewers. They discharge their wastewater into septic tanks or other types of on-site sanitation.
Ecological sanitation
Ecological sanitation is sometimes presented as a radical alternative to conventional sanitation systems. Ecological sanitation is based on composting or vermicomposting toilets where an extra separation of urine and feces at the source for sanitization and recycling has been done. It thus eliminates the creation of blackwater and eliminates fecal pathogens from any still present wastewater (urine). If ecological sanitation is practiced municipal wastewater consists only of greywater, which can be recycled for gardening. However, in most cases greywater continues to be discharged to sewers.
Sanitation and public health
The importance of waste isolation lies in an effort to prevent water and sanitation related diseases, which afflicts both developed countries as well as developing countries to differing degrees. It is estimated that up to 5 million people die each year from preventable water-borne disease[5], as a result of inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices. The affects of sanitation have also had a large impact on society. Published in Griffins Public Sanitation proven studies show that higher sanitation produces more attractiveness.
Global access to improved sanitation
The Joint Monitoring Program for water and sanitation of WHO and UNICEF has defined improved sanitation as
- connection to a public sewer
- connection to a septic system
- pour-flush latrine
- simple pit latrine
- ventilated improved pit latrine [6]
According to that definition, 62% of the world's population has access to improved sanitation in 2008, up 8% since 1990. [1] Only slightly more than half of them or 31% of the world population lived in houses connected to a sewer. Overall, 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation and thus must resort to open defecation or other unsanitary forms of defecation, such as public latrines or open pit latrines.[7] This includes 1.2 billion people who have access to no facilities at all.[8] This outcome presents substantial public health risks as the waste could contaminate drinking water and cause life threatening forms of diarrhea to infants. Improved sanitation, including hand washing and water purification, could save the lives of 1.5 million children who suffer from diarrheal diseases each year.[8]
In developed countries, where less than 20% of the world population lives, 99% of the population has access to improved sanitation and 81% were connected to sewers.
References
- ^ Carlo M. Cipolla, Before the Industrial Revolution: European Society and Economy 1000-1700, W.W. Norton and Company, London (1980) ISBN 0-393-95115-4
- ^ Burnett White, Natural History of Infectious Diseases
- ^ Environmental Biotechnology: Advancement in Water And Wastewater Application, edited by Z. Ujang, IWA Proceedings, Malaysia (2003)
- ^ Typical U.S. water treatment standards
- ^ Pacific Institute
- ^ The Joint Monitoring Programme of WHO and UNICEF:definitions
- ^ Sanitation and drinking water: is the world on track? Circle of Blue, July 31, 2008
- ^ a b World Health Organization and UNICEF. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: Special Focus on Sanitation.
- ^ George Tchobanoglous and Frank Kreith Handbook of Solid Waste Management, McGraw Hill (2002)
- ^ William D. Robinson, The Solid Waste Handbook: A Practical Guide, John Wiley and sons (1986)
- ^ Code of Federal Regulations. "1910.141 Sanitation" (PDF). http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06sept20031800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2003/julqtr/pdf/29cfr1910.141.pdf. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
- ^ "Sanitation and Hygiene: knocking on new doors" (PDF). Overseas Development Institute. 2006. http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp_dec06_sanitation_hygiene.pdf. Retrieved 2007.
- ^ 'Beyond Subsidies - Triggering a Revolution in Rural Sanitation' Institute of Development Studies (IDS) In Focus Policy Brief 10 July 2009.
- ^ Japan External Trade Organization. "Food Sanitation Law in Japan" (PDF). http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/market/regulations/pdf/food-e.pdf. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
- ^ Treatment of deadleg plumbing areas
Resources
This article has been adapted from the Wikipedia article, Sanitation. To read the article, in full, CLICK HERE.
