SuSanA - Forum

Re: RTTC cost calculation: including capital costs? - by: gustavo

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:58:37 +0000

Yes this is a very interesting topic!
we have some interesting data about small scale ( <10,000 people) DEWATS we have built in Bolivia www.aguatuya.org

Re: Modelling the next generation of sanitation systems (University College London, UK) - by: madeleine

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:31:15 +0000

Dear Luiza
Bom Dia & Greetings from Sweden!
I wonder if it would be possible to combine your modelling with some tools that SEI has developed and used as desicion making tools for a long period of time
I hardly know anything about modelling but I know that our tools are used all over the world . WE have one for energy LEAP sei-us.org/software/leap and one for WATER WEAP www.sei-international.org/weap-the-water...and-planning-system.
It would absolutely great if we could initiate an dialogue with the people on our tools and even if we could do workshop together .
Currently due to our dedication and committment of finding working tool for the Nexus we are trying to combinbg WEAP and LEAP in lake Tana region in Ethiopia.
Looking forward to hear thoughts on this
KInd regards
madeleine

Re: RTTC cost calculation: including capital costs? - by: chrisully

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:41:03 +0000

Excellent initiative.

I think that a simple reference document that steps out a consistent approach to costing is definitely required. Financial/economic costing information are being provided more and more in presentations and papers but the process and assumptions behind the calculations are often not presented.

Chris Sullivan
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Working Group: Decentralized Wastewater Management
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Germany

Modelling the next generation of sanitation systems (University College London, UK) - by: luizacampos

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:15:25 +0000

Dear all,

I would like to introduce to you a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that I am leading (I first mentioned it above on 29 March 2012):

Title of grant: Modelling the next generation of sanitation systems

Subtitle: NewSan Simulator

Name of lead organization: University College London

Primary contact at lead organization: Luiza Cintra Campos
Grantee location: London, United Kingdom

Developing country where the research is being or will be tested: South Africa

Some visual impressions:

Short description of the project:
The project develops a simulator for sanitation systems. The novelty of this project lies in the adaptation of an existing resource-flux simulation methodology used on networked systems to calculate nutrient and energy fluxes specifically for on-site sanitation systems. The simulation methodology has been already applied successfully by ifak in several networked sanitation contexts in developing countries. However, the concept is currently being extended to cater for non-networked sanitation systems. The model outputs are the main fluxes of energy and nutrients and, thus, their available amount for recovery, volume/quality of treated waste for reuse; and monetary value of the waste reuse. Demonstration of systems which have increasing commercial viability due to waste reuse/nutrients recovery can be used to explore business opportunities for sanitation. The flexibility of the simulator also allows to include in the future modules for sanitation technologies developed in the future. Once further developed, the model will have the potential to aid city-managers to evaluate alternative sanitation technologies and to select the most sustainable and cost-effective solution. Significant cost-savings and improved utilization of resource streams, thus increasing revenue, are expected by application of this simulator.

Goal(s):
The goal of this project is to develop an easy-to-apply simulation tool set up to enable local city managers to assess the implications of adopting alternative sanitation strategies at scale.

Objectives:
The main aim of Phase-I is to develop a simulation tool to model flux of residual wastes from streams in the sanitation service delivery chain, focusing on nutrient and energy fluxes.

Start and end date: November 2011 - October 2013

Grant type: Grand Challenges Explorations Round 7 (GCE R7)

Funding for this research currently ongoing (yes/no): Yes

Research or implementation partners:
UCL is working in collaboration with ifak which is a non-profit institute for applied research at Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg/Germany that develops simulation models for water and wastewater applications.

Links, further readings – results to date:
Presentation at the FSM-2 Conference, Oct. 2012: www.susana.org/images/documents/07-cap-d...-campos-schuetze.pdf

Paper at FSM2 Conference: www.susana.org/docs_ccbk/susana_download/2-1624-campos.pdf

Video from Manfred's presentation at the FSM2 Conference:

We don't have any other publications at the moment. We will have soon a paper.

Current state of affairs:
UCL has got an extension for 6 months more of Phase-I and this will allow the development of two additional MSc projects on further development and application of the NewSan simulator (draft version). For Phase-II, our idea is to further develop and apply the NewSan simulator to a number of cities worldwide to demonstrate at scale the economic benefits of nutrient and energy recovery associated with the next generation of sanitation technologies.

Biggest successes so far:
Our biggest success is that the NewSan simulator (draft version) is very flexible and simple tool that can assist city engineers to choose sanitation technologies/chain in relation to nutrients/energy recovery and costs, considering the locally prevailing boundary conditions which are case-specific. We also consider the initial partnership between our research group (ifak, UCL) with UKZN, EWS – eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit and IWA as another great achievement.

Main challenges / frustration:
Because we are proposing the setup of a simulator, the biggest challenge was to gather data for model input and setup. We are, in particular, in need of local data such as capex and opex costs and energy consumption/generation of new sanitation technologies. Unfortunately, this information is not always available/easily accessible. Therefore, lack of data is our main challenge.

If you have such data, please do reply to this post.
I look forward to receiving comments and questions.

Kind regards,
Luiza

Re: Modelling the next generation of sanitation systems - by: luizacampos

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:22:01 +0000

Dear Chris

Greetings from London!!

Thanks for giving us more details about data collected in South Africa.

We will review the documents you mentioned.

One of my MSc students may contact your group asking for more information.

Kind regards,

Luiza

Introduction - by: kshane

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:34:39 +0000

Hey everyone!

My name is Kevin Shane and I'm the Communications Lead for Quicksand's social innovation and development projects here in India, most notably of which is Project Sammaan. I recently posted a project profile on SuSanA for this, but you can also check us out at ProjectSammaan.com.

Naomi emailed me suggesting this be done so that this space is less anonymous and more of a collaborative networking space; I think that's a great idea! Sanitation, after all, isn't like dealing in consumer products or any other space where competition leads to isolation. This is a problem that affects each and every one of us, so it behooves us to share as much information as possible as we work towards finding sustainable solutions for those that need it the most.

A little background on Quicksand and Project Sammaan:

Quicksand is a multi-disciplinary innovation consultancy that places user-centered design principles at the core of every innovation effort. The studio has successfully delivered on several new services, products, brands and developmental strategies, creating both measurable social and business impact.

Project Sammaan was born out of research Quicksand undertook as part of the Potty Project (PottyProject.in), an in-depth design research study focused on understanding three things:
- The end-user experience at community toilet facilities within urban slums in India
- End-user perceptions, attitudes, and mental models around sanitation and hygiene
- The “supply side” aspects of community sanitation in slums including things such as pricing, operations & maintenance, caretaking, and business models.

Quicksand is responsible for project management as well as anchoring the hardware design process for the project. The latter includes conducting user-experience testing and community feedback sessions, furthering the mandate to create a functional facility that reflects what people want and need, while also incorporating learnings from the Potty Project.

Quicksand, in the role of project management and hardware design leads, interacts and coordinates the efforts of various other partners, including the architectural partners, the project and contract management firm as well as community engagement partner, in addition to various subject matter experts on sewerage treatment and design. Updates with the BMC & CMC, as well as the Odisha Housing & Urban Development Department, are led by Quicksand as well, with support from the other partners, including the PMO.

Additionally, Quicksand is responsible for the project’s strategic communications. This covers everything from public outreach efforts, developing and maintaining the project website and blog, and developing the end-deliverable “toolkit” that will allow other organizations in the sanitation sector to replicate the project worldwide.

About me:

I joined the Quicksand team in February 2012 after a successful, if unfulfilling, career in marketing and corporate communications in the United States. I found myself at a crossroads in my career and opted to explore development opportunities outside the U.S. that would pair my communications expertise with work that contributed to improving people's lives, and not just a corporation's bottom line. I'm passionate about meeting new people, traveling, and experiencing new cultures and places.

I'd love to talk to any and all of you about your work and would also be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about our work. Please feel free to drop me a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cheers!

Re: Large Capacity Building Project in sanitation (UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands and Sub-Saharan Africa and SE Asia) - by: sphpan

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:54:28 +0000

Hello, my name is Sophia Pan, and I am a PhD student at the University of Cape Town being supervised by Professor Neil Armitage in the Civil Engineering Department of UCT. He leads the Urban Water Management group. My research proposal is attached, and it's entitled "Transitioning beyond basic sanitation for low-income households in Cape Town", and the primary research question is: how can sanitation for low-income areas in Cape Town move beyond containing and removing waste towards sustainable and equitable sanitation services?

I know it is quite a broad research question so I have several sub-objectives which are mentioned in the proposal. Since sustainability is one of the core values promoted by SuSanA, I am sure that I will find many helpful resources on this forum.

I will be attending and presenting a paper at the upcoming IWA conference in Nairobi so I look forward to meeting up with the other students and advisors on this project as well as other water and sanitation researchers.

Thanks for starting this thread, and I look forward to hearing about everyone's research .

Best wishes,
Sophia

Re: Large Capacity Building Project in sanitation (UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands and Sub-Saharan Africa and SE Asia) - by: AquaVerde

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:00:08 +0000

Dear Mr. Dias,

Your project "COMBINED SOLUTION OF UASB REACTOR, POLISHING PONDS AND ROCK FILTER FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND REUSE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.", sounds to me similar to ongoing DEWATS-Projects:

"Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS)and Sanitation in Developing Countries"
see:
www.borda-net.org/fileadmin/borda-net/ne..._Guidebook_small.pdf
www.borda-la.org/

Best Regards,

Detlef SCHWAGER

Re: Overview of grant types GCE Round 6 and 7 and RTTC Round 1 and 2 - by: muench

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:51:35 +0000

Dear Christoph and all,

And we have also added another interesting link to this page:
susana.org/lang-en/research/funded-by-bi...nda-gates-foundation

Towards the bottom of the page you find a link to this:
The public list of awarded grants is updated regularly on the Foundation website, and you can sort it to see just the grants in Water, Sanitation & Hygiene.
www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quic...n%2C%20and%20Hygiene

In this database you find the exact amount of money that was awarded to each grant. I find this very interesting, very transparent, and sometimes mind-boggling how much money is given to these grants. To think that all this money comes from one person, Bill Gates, and, well, his entire company, staff, the success of their products etc. - but it really is amazing, I have a lot of respect for the work of the Foundation. He could have also put his money into other things (airplanes, cars, villas, islands, ...) but chose this cause, including sanitation, which is awesome.

Regards,
Elisabeth

Re: Overview of grant types GCE Round 6 and 7 and RTTC Round 1 and 2 - by: NaomiRadke

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:43:16 +0000

Welcome, I am glad it is helpful
Greetings to Brazil!

Re: RTTC cost calculation: including capital costs? - by: steve4real

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:52:02 +0000

I think the 1 pager is an excellent idea - that way everyone can be on the same page!

Re: EMPTYING AND TRANSPORTATION FECAL SLUDGE BUSINESS - by: muench

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:49:49 +0000

Dear Tahunganh,
Can you please introduce yourself and your research with a bit more detail?

I wonder if you have already studied the reports on the Faecal Sludge Management business analysis in 10 countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa that were commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2011.
I wrote about them here on the forum previously:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/53-fae...-towns-in-india#3023

You find them also by searching the SuSanA library for: landscape BMGF:
www.susana.org/library?search=landscape+bmgf

Are they helpful for your research?

In particular see also this one:
Chowdhry, S., Koné, D. (2012). Business Analysis of Fecal Sludge Management: Emptying and Transportation Services in Africa and Asia - Draft final report. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA.
www.susana.org/lang-en/library/library?v...p;type=2&id=1662

Regards,
Elisabeth

Re: how to transform investment costs into "cost per use" - by: jonpar

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:17:08 +0000

p.s. I wasn't serious about the bit about the grant !

Re: how to transform investment costs into "cost per use" - by: jonpar

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:41:53 +0000

I was not aware until reading this discussion about the BMGF criteria.

On a positive note, it is good to see a donor is encouraging recipients of grants to consider operational costs as well as capital costs. It is the first time I have seen this articulated as a requirement for receipt of funding. I hope other funding agencies start to take this on board. So, I think we should congratulate BMGF for a step in the right direction.

BUT, evidently it immediately raises a whole host of questions about how to calculate the equivalent annual cost. It is not so difficult as Christoph's email demonstrates. But clearly some guidelines on this for grantees would be valuable.

I expect that the SuSanA Working Group on Finance and Economics could put together a 1 pager on this for BMGF if they would like us to. They can give is a grant to do so if they like!

At the same time we could send a communique to other donors to lobby them to take this on board.

Who's with me on this one ?

best regards,

Jonathan Parkinson

Programme Manager – Urban Sanitation Initiative
email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

International Water Association
Alliance House, 12 Caxton Street
London SW1H 0QS, UK

www.iwahq.org

Re: how to transform investment costs into "cost per use" - by: gustavo

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 23:35:32 +0000

Yes Cristoph - I totally agree. This is the way different options should be compared... also when talking about sewage systems, wastewater treatment plants and water distribution system. You have to convert everything to USD/m3.

+++++++++++++++++
(moderator's comment (EvM): Gustavo: please introduce yourself and fill in your SuSanA profile information. Thanks)