New paper on container-based sanitation

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we have been able to publish this as an open-access article! Feel free to disseminate.

Container-based sanitation: Assessing costs and effectiveness of excreta management in Cap Haitien, Haiti

Sebastien Tilmans, Kory Russel, Rachel Sklar, Leah Page, Sasha Kramer, Jennifer Davis

1. doi: 10.1177/0956247815572746Environment and Urbanization April 2015 vol. 27 no. 1 89-104
   

   Abstract

   Container-based sanitation (CBS) – in which wastes are captured in sealable containers that are then transported to treatment facilities – is an alternative sanitation option in urban areas where on-site sanitation and sewerage are infeasible. This paper presents the results of a pilot household CBS service in Cap Haitien, Haiti. We quantify the excreta generated weekly in a dense urban slum,⁽¹⁾ the proportion safely removed via container-based public and household toilets, and the costs associated with these systems. The CBS service yielded an approximately 3.5-fold decrease in the unmanaged share of faeces produced, and nearly eliminated the reported use of open defecation and “flying toilets” among service recipients. The costs of this pilot small-scale service were higher than those of large-scale waterborne sewerage, but economies of scale have the potential to reduce CBS costs over time. The paper concludes with a discussion of planning and policy implications of incorporating CBS into the menu of sanitation options for rapidly growing cities.