Abstract
Reaching the Millennium Development Goals for Sanitation is a challenge. To address this challenge, numerous technological innovations have been developed. But with so many innovations and a wide range of existing technologies appropriate in different settings, difficulties with communication and knowledge dissemination hinder informed decision-making and the integration of all sanitation elements. This chapter describes a novel method for organizing and defining sanitation systems to facilitate informed decision-making and an integrated approach. Technologies are categorized based on their ‘Product-Process’ specificity and then linked into logical systems using a ‘Flowstream’ concept. Technologies are grouped and used to construct seven logical systems. Additionally, according to the flowstream, suitable technologies are grouped and given a score for each of the criteria. The advantages and shortcomings of the flowstream approach to sanitation system planning and the differences between ‘system’ and ‘technology’ are discussed and a set of terms and concepts that can be used to standardize the way in which sanitation is thought of and communicated about is proposed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Baccini, P. & Brunner, P. H. (1991). Metabolism of the anthroposphere. Heidelberg/New York: Springer.
Cofie, O., Agbottah, S., Strauss, M., Esseku, H., Montangero, A., Awuah, E., et al. (2006). Solid-liquid separation of faecal sludge using drying beds in Ghana: Implications for nutrient recycling in urban agriculture. Water Research, 40(1), 75–82.
Eales, K. (2005). Bringing pit emptying out of the darkness: A comparison of approaches in Durban, South Africa, and Kibera, Kenya. Sanitation Partnerships Series, Building Partnerships for Development in Water and Sanitation, BPD Water and Sanitation, London, UK.
Eawag. (2005). Household-centred environmental sanitation: Implementing the Bellagio principles in urban environmental sanitation (Provisional Guideline for Decision-makers). Duebendorf, Switzerland: Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology).
IWA. (2006). Sanitation 21: Simple approaches to complex sanitation - a draft framework for analysis. London: International Water Association. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www.iwahq.org/uploads/iwa%20hq/website%20files/task%20forces/sanitation%2021/Sanitation21v2.pdf
Jönsson, H., & Vinnerås, B. (2007). Experiences and suggestions for collection systems for source-separated urine and faeces. Water Science and Technology, 56(5), 71–76.
Kengne, I. M., Amougou, A., Bemmo, N., Strauss, M., Troesch, S., Ntep, F., et al. (2006). Potentials of sludge drying beds vegetated with Cyperus papyrus L. and Echinochloa pyramidalis (Lam.) Hitchc. & Chase for faecal sludge treatment in tropical regions. Proceedings of the international conference on wetlands systems for water pollution control (Vol. 2, pp. 943–953). Lisbon, Portugal.
Koné, D., Cofie, O., Zurbrugg, C., Gallizzia, K., Moser, D., Drescher, S., et al. (2007). Helminth eggs inactivation efficiency by faecal sludge dewatering and co-composting in tropical climates. Water Research, 41(19), 4397–4402.
Macleod, N. A. (2005). The provision of sustainable sanitation services to peri-urban and rural communities in the eThekwini municipality. 3rd International Ecological Sanitation Conference (pp. 47–51). Durban, South Africa.
Mara, D. & Alabaster, G. (2008). A new paradigm for low-cost urban water supplies and sanitation in developing countries. Water Policy, 10(2), 119–129.
Melo, J. C. (2006). The experience of condominial waterand sewerage systems in Brazil: Case studies from Brasilia, Salvador and Parauapebas. Water and Sanitation Program, Latin America (WSP-LAC). Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www.wsp.org/UserFiles/file/BrasilFinal2.pdf
Montangero, A. & Belevi, H. (2007). Assessing nutrient flows in septic tanks by eliciting expert judgement: A promising method in the context of developing countries. Water Research, 41(5), 1052–1064.
Morel, A. & Diener, S. (2006). Greywater management in low and middle-income countries, review of different treatment systems for households or neighbourhoods. Dübendorf, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag).
Ockelford, J. & Reed, B. (2002). Participatory planning for integrated rural water supply& sanitation. UK: WEDC, Loughborough University.
Otterpohl, R., Braun, U., & Oldenburg, M. (2004). Innovative technologies for decentralised water-, wastewater and biowaste management in urban and peri-urban areas. Water Science and Technology, 48(11–12), 23–32.
Pronk, W., Zuleeg, S., Lienert, S., Escher, B., Koller, M., Berner, A., et al. (2007). Pilot experiments with electrodialysis and ozonation for the production of a fertilizer from urine. Water Science and Technology, 56(5), 219–227.
Ronteltap, M., Maurer, M., & Gujer, W. (2007). Struvite precipitation thermodynamics in source-separated urine. Water Research, 41(5), 977–984.
Rossi, L., Lienert, J., & Larsen, T. A. (2009). Real-life efficiency of urine source separation. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(5), 1909–1917.
Sanimap. (2008). World Sanitation Project Map. Sanimap - a communication tool to solve sanitation problems. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www.sanimap.net/xoops2/modules/gnavi/
Savina, A., & Kolsky, P. (2004). Mobilizing resources for sanitation. Water and Sanitation Program - Africa Region, Field Note. World Bank, Nairobi, Kenya.
Tchobanoglous, G., Burton, F. L., & Stensel, H. D. (2003). Wastewater engineering: Treatment and reuse. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Tilley, E., Atwater, J., & Mavinic, D. (2008). Recovery of struvite from stored human urine. Environmental Technology, 29(7), 797–806.
Tilley, E., Lüthi, C., Morel, A., Zurbrügg, C., & Schertenleib, R. (2008). Compendium of sanitation systems and technologies. Dübendorf, Switzerland: Eawag.
Vezina, M. (2002). The Ougadougou strategic sanitation plan: An holistic approach to a city’s problems. Water and Sanitation Program - Africa Region, Field Note 10. World Bank, Nairobi, Kenya.
WHO, UNICEF. (2004). Meeting the MDG drinking water and sanitation target- a mid-term assessment of progress. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
Wright, A. M. (1997). Toward a strategic sanitation approach: Improving the sustainability of urban sanitation in developing countries. Washington, DC: UNDP-World Bank Water and Sanitation Program.
Zurbrügg, C., & Tilley, E. (Eds.). (2007). Evaluation of existing low-cost conventional as well as innovative sanitation system and technologies. Workpackage 3 - Assessment of Sanitation Systems and Technologies. NETSSAF, Deliverable 22 & 23. Project no. 037099.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the entire NETSSAF consortium (www.netssaf.net) for their dedicated and supportive collaboration in this, and all other activities in the project. Additionally the authors would like to thank the European Union for funding this project under the EU-FP6 Framework. Finally the authors would like to acknowledge the support of: Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology and the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South: Research Partnerships for Mitigating Syndromes of Global Change.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tilley, E., Zurbrügg, C., Lüthi, C. (2010). A Flowstream Approach for Sustainable Sanitation Systems. In: van Vliet, B., Spaargaren, G., Oosterveer, P. (eds) Social Perspectives on the Sanitation Challenge. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3721-3_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3721-3_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3720-6
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-3721-3
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)