Reinventing Pit Latrines Using Breathable Laminate Liners o Mitigate Groundwater Contamination
THE CHALLENGE
In many conflict-affected countries, over half of the population is dependent on pit latrines (for sanitation) and groundwater resources (for water), which puts people at risk of contracting diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral route such as diarrhea, shigella, cholera, and typhoid. As such, protecting the groundwater from contamination by promoting safe excreta disposal practices is essential to reducing childhood diarrhea and improving public health in emergencies.
THE SOLUTION
To develop an improved sanitation model for humanitarian settings, Texas A&M University – San Antonio developed an innovative breathable laminate liner for pit latrines to protect the groundwater from fecal contamination without compromising safe excreta disposal. The pit liners contain laminated ‘breathable’ membranes that allow water vapor to evaporate from fecal sludge while preventing the passage of any solids, liquids, and pathogens to nearby water sources. Under CHIC funding, the performance of the pit liner prototype was tested in a rural village on the outskirts of Fatehpur, India. Two twin-pit latrines were constructed in August 2021, with each toilet being used by two families. An estimated 700 kgs of human waste was collected, and all four households reported experiencing benefits from gaining access to improved sanitation, the most notable of which was an enhanced sense of safety among women and girls. Further analysis of the resulting groundwater quality revealed no signs of groundwater contamination following the use of pit liners, offering evidence of their promise as an improved sanitation technology. Still, other shortcomings in their performance, such as high moisture retention and slow drying, have rendered a need for further optimization of the prototype before implementing or scaling it in other settings.
