Hello all! I’m a Finnish master’s degree student and currently doing a project for my thesis here in Kenya, about ecological sanitation. Just wanted to post some updates from the field from Nyanza and Western provinces in Kenya, in case someone is interested (: Here you go:

Last month UDDTs in rural schools (of Ecosan Promotion Project, EPP) were monitored and post-evaluated in Nyanza and Western provinces in Kenya (by Finnish master student and GIZ consultants). The purpose of this project was to monitor how these selected schools have managed with operation and maintenance of their ecosan toilets this far. The selected schools were actually chosen according to their good performance with O&M and the goal was to find out the reasons for the good practice. As known, one of the major challenges considering ecological sanitation is to create a sustainable operation and maintenance mechanism. How to succeed with that in schools, were challenges are e.g. the high population of toilet users and small children?

In Nyanza province altogether five schools were visited, four of them sponsored by GIZ and Ecosan promotion project: Kendu Muslim Secondary School, Kachan Primary School, Siany Mixed Secondary School and Radienia Primary School. One of the schools, Hope and Kindness, was self sponsored. All the schools were managing relatively well with their operation and maintenance. Toilets were correctly used by pupils and teachers, clean, there was no smell or flies and storing facilities were functioning. Urine and also dried and stored compost was utilized in the school farms! I was happy to see how people were dealing with ecological sanitation with a very positive attitude and they consider it as a very important issue. Interviewed students were pleased to use UDDTs, as they are clean and not smelly. Idea of reusing urea and compost from the toilets as a fertilizer in the school gardens or farms was well accepted. All the pupils I talked with knew the benefits of this natural fertilizer and had accepted the reuse.

In Western province schools were already closing for the Christmas holidays, so we managed to visit only some of them. Eldoret Educational Center was a very good example of well operating and maintaining schools! But unfortunately we also got an example of the opposite performane: in Kitale Ndogo Primary school the maintenance of UDDTs seemed to be entirely neglected, and the condition of the facilities was terrible. Unfortunately the head of the school was not around, so reasons for this bad performance could not be figured out. Field observations and interviews in Western province will be continued next week, and also Kitale Ndogo Primary will be visited again.

Ecological sanitation was generally accepted very well in these schools and also in the communities around. Some of the schools had built more UDDTs after the EPP, and communities around were involved – which is one important factor. The schools are spreading the ”gospel of ecosans” (as one head teacher put it) and some schools get visitors who just want to see and learn about ecological sanitation. Pupils would prefer this kind of toilets also in their home communities, and for sure are spreading the idea to their parents and relatives.

Any comments?

P.S. See also the Kenya Ecosan Blog for more information about the EPP and these school UDDTs: ecosankenya.blogspot.com/

Dear Kirsikka,

Thanks for this update and information about these UDDTs in rural schools in Western Kenya. It is encouraging to hear some good news with regards to longer-term maintenance of UDDT school toilets!

You mentioned that the best performing schools are using the fertiliser from the UDDTs. The question in my mind is whether this is actually a coincidence or instead a reason for the continued, enthousiastic use of the UDDTs.

In other words: Out of the 73 schools with UDDTs, are only those schools carrying on with their UDDTs who use the fertiliser? If you could prove this, this would be interesting. I would be surprised though, as I would have thought the amount of fertiliser produced from just 4 UDDTs per school is rather small and insignificant and thus this could not possibly be a major driver. Meaning that the well performing schools would perform well in any case, whether they use the fertiliser or not.

What is your feeling on this and what do the other Kenyan consultants (Moses, Wycliffe, others) think?

Good luck with the rest of your data collection!

If anyone is curious about these schools, please have a look at our SuSanA case study on this project which was recently updated (and which Kirsikka will help to update further):

www.susana.org/lang-en/case-studies?view...p;type=2&id=1195
Kraft, L., Rieck, C. (2011). Urine diversion dehydration toilets in rural schools, Nyanza, Western and other provinces, Kenya - Case study of SuSanA. Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA).

Regards,
Elisabeth

I have been visiting and evaluating UDDTs in rural schools in Western Kenya during the last months, and according to my observations the most motivated and engaged schools (who continued with their UDDTs) were all using the UDDT products on their school farms (or for tree planting). Wondering if this is one highly important factor that motivates the schools to take care (operate and maintain) of their UDDTs? Does someone has similar or different experiences? I would be very happy about shared experiences here!

-Kirsikka



[Urine-water mixture irrigation system on the farm in Eldoret Educational Centre]

Thank you Elisabeth for your comments! It is very true that my research is covering only a small part of the total amount of the schools in the Ecosan promotion project. But still, in those schools I visited, it seemed to be an important factor for motivation to maintain the UDDTs.

I doubt that only the schools that reuse the products as fertilizer are doing well. But reusing the urine and dried faeces is certainly indicating that the concept of ecological sanitation has been accepted. And actually, even there are only 4 UDDTs in each school (some had constructed more though) the amount of urine is quite a lot. For example in Eldoret Educational Centre, the small school of 180 pupils had 4 UDDTs and urinals for boys (no pit latrines in use), but urine containers (volume 20 litres) are filled up every day! In Khaimba Primary School, which is a big school (900 pupils) and where only the top classes (7 and 8 ) use the UDDTs, urine containers fill up once in four days. Hence, even few toilets, the amount of urine is enough for actual utilizing on the school farms.

Interesting fact learned in Khaimba was that compost from UDDTs is actually very valued product, as it has been stolen from the vaults!

This is very interesting. Are these drip irrigation hoses? What plant is this? How much water is mixed in?
Thanks for such good news.

Best wishes, Chris

Dear Chris.
This is drip irrigation system used to irrigate traditional vegetable for school consumption and local market. They don't use any other fertilizer apart from the urine from the ecosan toilets.

Do you remember what was the mixing ratio of urine and water in this school?

I would like to know where would the best possible place to source UDDTs be. Would you be able to furnish me with few suppliers details please.

Thank You.

Nazir.

Dear Krissirka.
The mixing ratio for urine and water is 1 to 1. This is mostly done during dry seasons when concentrated urine can scourge the plants or crops being fertilized. Concentrated urine can be used during rain season.

We are the guys supplying the plastic squating pans for ecosan toilets.
Contact Moses Wakala on +254721743171 email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it We shall deliver where you want them delivered here in Kenya.
Thanks.

Dear Moses,
what do you mean with concentrated urine? Pure urine? Mixing ratio 1:1 already sounds quite strong especially during the dry season, doesn't it..?

Hello!
Some weeks ago we visited few household UDDTs (built during Ecosan Promotion Project) in Western Province, Kenya. Toilets were very clean and well maintained. Of course it's a lot easier to operate and maintain toilets at individual level, compared to bigger units and institutions e.g. schools, but well managed household UDDTs are a very good thing in communities for absorbing and spreading the principles of ecological sanitation and especially reuse of ecosan products. Owners were pleased with their UDDTs and reused urine as fertilizer in agriculture.


[Household UDDT in Chwele, Western Kenya. In the front a farm where urine-water mixture is utilized with good results.]

Hi Kirsikka,

I am glad to know that the users are happy with their UDDTs. It would be nice to know more about the design features of these successful UDDTs, so photos of the actual toilet would be helpful. Is it for squatting or for sitting? Washing or wiping?

Why does the unit you show have a little side room, with a separate door?

Best wishes,
Chris Canaday

Hi Kirsikka. By Concentrated urine, I mean non water added to it. The ratio of 1:1 has worked for so many people here in Western especially in Mumias and Bungoma during fertilizer application with urine. During heavy rains, we dont use any water at all.

Hi Chris!
I just uploaded two sets of my photos to SuSanA flickr photo database, you can see the UDDTs I was evaluating here (I have pics of both well and poorly maintained toilets):

www.flickr.com/photos/gtzecosan/sets/72157629413395685/

www.flickr.com/photos/gtzecosan/sets/72157629399616383/

Cheers,
Kirsikka

One example (see more on the links above):

UDDTs. Mumias Muslim Primary School. by Sustainable sanitation, on Flickr

Dear all,

You might have wondered what exactly came out of Kirsikka's research work at the end - since she posted about it here earlier in the year.

Well, here is her completed MSc thesis now:
www.susana.org/lang-en/library?view=ccbk...p;type=2&id=1581

I have copied her abstract further down below.
If you don't have time to read her thesis (who has time to read big documents these days...), there is now also an 8-page conference paper about it available: she will present it this week at the Dry Toilet Conference in Finland. If you happen to be there, do approach her and have a chat with her. I hope that after the conference, all papers and presentations will be made available online (and also find their way into the SuSanA library).

I think she did a very nice piece of work for a Masters thesis. I am glad we were able to support her by hooking her up with the very capable consultants Moses and Whycliffe in Kenya who worked with GIZ in the EPP until 2009 and are now ecosan consultants in Kenya.


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Regards
Elisabeth

Thanks Elisabeth for reminding me to do some updates also here!

So, dear all,
finally I've completed my thesis (and also graduated!). One major conclusion of my study is that the main driving factors and motivation for the schools to maintain their UDDTs are the benefits and success gained from them. For example more comfortable and odorless toilets, less polluted environment, fertilizers (urine and faeces) and economic benefits are considered as success factors that lead to motivation and continuity. You can read further analyzing in the full paper:




I'm happy I had the chance to present my study at the 4th International Dry Toilet Conference last week.

I want to thank everyone who were helping me in the thesis project and I hope we'll have opportunity to work together with this important topic of sustainable sanitation also in the future.

Kiitos,
Kirsikka

Hello Kirsikka,
just some questions about your paper which is very interesting.
Please correct me if I´m wrong. I took from your paper the following conclusion:
All your main conclusions besides one do apply more or less to every school toilet project as a problem, not only to UDDT: low number of spots available, maintenance, hand washing, high motivation to maintain by the pupils and teacher and school stuff (schools with reuse are higher motivated to maintain). Therefore these problems have to be delt with as in every school toilet project.
The major difference is the aspect of urine pipe blocking. That is absolutely crucial and totally technology dependent, therefore I would make some questions. Could you comment on the diameter, gradient and if there are 90° bendings and if it is struvite blocking or just by wrong use? It would be nice to know to what extent the blocking is driven by construction /design, or user habits or regular maintenance aspects (ash, feces blocking urine). We did some school installations some years ago and up to now never had struvite problems, blockings where always related to misuse, but we do 50 mm urine pipes and a very steep slope (out of fear ). In total we have some reservations about UDDT school projects because it is so crucial to have good maintenance and that is not easy to have in public spaces. And easily failure can be attributed to UDDT instead of the common problem of maintenance in public toilets.
Thanks for sharing the paper.
Christoph

Hi Kirsikka

I hope this finds you well. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful work with us. I am a masters student in South Africa and my project is on UD toilets and I would really appreciate it if I could have access to your paper, I am sure I WILL learn a lot from it.

Regards
Nosipho

Dear Nosipho

Welcome to the SuSanA discussion forum.

See above in Elisabeth's post for the link to the SuSanA library where a copy of Kirsikka's thesis is uploaded. The MSc thesis is here: www.susana.org/lang-en/library?view=ccbk...p;type=2&id=1581

In addition could you please also introduce yourself Nosipho and tell us a little about what you are studying in your Masters and also more about your project on UD toilets.

Have you for instance seen the case study on "Large-scale peri-urban and rural sanitation with UDDTs, eThekwini Municipality (Durban), South Africa" here is the link for your convenience: www.susana.org/lang-en/library?view=ccbk...mp;type=2&id=791

Perhaps that could be useful for your project.
Kind regards
Trevor

Urine mixing concentration.
The dilution of the urine depends on various factors such as: the ambient and soil temperature, soil conditions (sand, loam or clay), shading or partial shading (greenhouse), the humidity level of the air including altitude above sea-level, the growing phase of the plants, the amount of leaves the plant has, and the period before the plant is going to be harvested.
The above means that you cannot fix a rate, but need to establish the dilution according to the agricultural zone and climate conditions.
Practically it means that local agricultural stations and farmers need to run test areas and compute the results.
Based on those figures advisory charts can be developed for the most common plants grown in the area and season.
Please see the short not attached.

Dear Christoph,
thanks for your comments, and sorry for this a bit late reply.
But yes, you are right, most of the schools I visited had still some problems with their UDDTs, mainly with managing maintenance practice, even though they were motivated and liked the dry toilets, but the question was more often about lacking resources such as finance or know-how. And, as you mentioned, it is challenging to maintain any kind of toilets in public institutions…
Unfortunately I didn’t have a closer look inside the blocked urine pipes, but most likely it was a question of misuse, and convection of ash in the urine pipes (not struvite, but I’m not sure).
I hope I answered to your question.
Kirsikka