Dear sanitation enthusiasts

It is my pleasure to announce a new Sanitation System Drawing Tool which has been uploaded to the Compendium website today: www.sandec.ch/compendium (scroll down to the bottom of the page to download it)
It is a PowerPoint-based, easy-to-use tool that is based on the 2^nd Edition of the Compendium.

You can use it to:

• Draw your own system by copying / pasting ready-made graphical elements (i.e. products, technologies and arrows) to an empty template
• Edit and modify systems 1-9 from the Compendium by adding / removing elements, changing the position of elements, etc.
• Print your tailor-made system, include it in a report, or use the slide in a presentation

We created this tool particularly for application in participatory workshops for sanitation system discussion and selection, as for example in step 5 (identification of service options) of the CLUES planning approach . It makes it is easy to visualize the resulting context-specific, tailor-made sanitation systems!

We hope you find this tool useful and look forward to receiving your feedback.

Kind regards,
Lukas

Ps.: The Vietnamese version of the Compendium (based on the 1^st edition 2008) is now also available from the Compendium website (it is not new but we did not have an electronic version until now).

Dear Elisabeth

Yes, the Compendium is currently being translated to French and will be published in a few months. Hence, if you wish to use the French technology schematics in the final version of the factsheets for Morocco this should be possible. It is probable that they will be ready in about 2 months (though I don't know the exact date yet). Please contact me again around that time.

A French version of the eCompendium is also in the pipeline, featuring additional further readings, case studies and links to interactive materials in French. We will produce it as soon as the translation is finalized.

For anybody interested in the French version of the Compendium, you may subscribe to this thread to receive the news once it is published.

A bientôt,
Lukas

Dear Lukas,

In September last year you said that a French version of the Compendium will be coming out in the coming months... How is it looking now, is it nearly finished? That would be great.

I am particularly interested in the French schematics of the different technologies, as a few of them have been improved in the English version for the second edition compared to the 2008 version.*

I am by the way also finding the eCompendium very helpful and practical, thanks to Dorothee and everyone else involved there (ecompendium.sswm.info). Just wanted to point out that I have already incorporated some of the schematics in some Wikipedia articles, like the one on septic tanks:
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septic_tank - it is not yet a very good article, needs more work):



Kind regards,
Elisabeth


* As you know, I have been including these compendium technology schematics in the 30 French 4-page factsheets on rural sanitation technologies which I have been working on for the GIZ-AGIRE project in Morocco since two years (mentioned here on the forum in the past: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/54-wg-...are-available-online). With any luck we will have them finished mid this year, too.

Dear all

Thanks a lot for the feedback on our new Compendium!
A few additional comments from my side:

1. Elisabeth:

..., and good luck with adding the French and Spanish (and any other languages) versions as well in the coming months.

There will indeed be a French translation in the coming months (PDF version only). We would of course also support the production of a new version in Spanish (and any other languages), but unfortunately we currently do not have the funds for further translations and prints.

2. Mughal:

In case of emerging technologies, please indicate for each technology, the merits and demerits; whether it is a mature technology, or is still at pilot stage, and where it has been used. Also, the list appears small. In the new edition, please include more.

Liz already answered very well in her post:

We have defined the emerging technologies as "those that have moved beyond the laboratory and small-pilot phase, and are currently (as of June 2014) being implemented in relevant contexts (i.e., in a developing country) and at a scale that indicates that expansion is possible (i.e., not a single unit)." We actually reviewed a very long list for consideration, but settled on this fairly short list of technologies that had been replicated and tested at scale (or close to it). Hopefully we will be able to add both more of a critical appraisal and more examples in the coming years once more piloting is complete.

I just want to emphasize that the emerging technologies listed are just examples of promising developments, and that the list doesn't mean to be exhaustive. As you know also from the Science and Technology section of the forum , the current developments in the field of sanitation technology innovation are so dynamic (which is great!), that it would not have been very easy/useful to provide just a snapshot of them all.

3. Compared to the print version, the new eCompendium has the advantage that updated references, new reports, case studies, pictures, videos, etc. can be easily added to each of the featured technologies. Please feel free to send us any new materials and updates!

Kind regards,
Lukas

Dear all

The interactive version of the Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies (eCompendium) is now online!

The eCompendium is the digital version of theCompendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies. It is an interactive planning tool designed for engineers and planners to facilitate decision-making on sanitation systems and technologies in meetings and workshops. The main added value to the eCompendium is that the user is guided throughout the entire sanitation-chain by the aid of interactive links. In order to select suitable technologies, a customised filter can be applied based on the desired input or output products of technologies.

It is based on the second edition of the Compendium (see rest of this thread). It comprises the same content as the print version, plus additional links to references, further readings and cross-references to the Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management (SSWM) Toolbox at your fingertips. All Technology Info Sheets are now stored in the SSWM database and can be directly linked with previously uploaded factsheets, further readings, training materials, weblinks, videos and - yes, even ready-made powerpoint presentations from the SSWM repository!
The eCompendium has been designed and implemented by the SSWM team on behalf of Sandec/Eawag. It is one of a series of specific topic entry pages (STEPs) with the aim of making the SSWM content more accessible for particular target groups of SSWM partners and contributors.

Go to the eCompendium: ecompendium.sswm.info
Visit the SSWM Toolbox: www.sswm.info

For the SSWM Team,
Dorothee Spuhler

Dear Elizabeth (Liz),

Thank you for your interesting feedback. Yes, I understand, the printing costs these days are high, but, at the same time, that initiative which was started before 2008, has turned out to be a prized publication - and it should continue - so to form a continuing education source for us. By the way, I happen to be the graduate of AIT.

Kind regards,

F H Mughal


Dear (our very own) Elisabeth,

Thanks for your response. That photo do emphasize my strong link with this publication.
It is nice to see good publications on this forum. I'm sure, new forum users would find publications, like this one, most helpful to their work.

Best regards,

F H Mughal

Wonderful picture! thank you for posting.

I'm very thankful for your comments Mughal, and I'll just quickly reply to them below:

1. A new edition in 6 years may not be possible, but certainly, we will continue to compile information, feedback (like yours!) and look for funding (since printing costs are quite high). But yes! that is the dream.

2. We may have a bias towards African publications, since this is where most of our work is based (Senegal, Kenya, South Africa) but I really hope you don't think that it is focused on "developed countries"! There are numerous publications included from our partners at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, since this is our main Asian partner, though it's true, we have few publications from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Please send us what you think would be relevant- we would be very happy to add the references for the next round.

3. We have defined the emerging technologies as "those that have moved beyond the laboratory and small-pilot phase, and are currently (as of June 2014) being implemented
in relevant contexts (i.e., in a developing country) and at a scale that indicates that expansion is possible (i.e., not a single unit)." We actually reviewed a very long list for consideration, but settled on this fairly short list of technologies that had been replicated and tested at scale (or close to it). Hopefully we will be able to add both more of a critical appraisal and more examples in the coming years once more piloting is complete.

4. Excellent suggestion!

5. It's a good point- it's always a negotiation between page limits and the need to include a holistic approach- but worth reconsidering.

Thanks again for all the feedback and support! It is very much appreciated.

Elizabeth (Liz)

I couldn't resist to link to this photo, Mughal, which we had included in your featured user interview - which shows that you really like this publication! :



Well, I don't know about powerful.... With "power user" I meant someone who has read every single sentence of many of the technology factsheets (of the French version), compared the French translation to the English original, checked the URLs in the references, scrutinised the schematics (based on feedback by Christine Werner) and so forth.

By the way, you mentioned a list of further readings. I am not sure if that is necessary because there is further reading at the end of each of the 2-page factsheets. Also there is a list on page 8 called "Complementary Sanitation Sector Development Tools", which also includes a key document on "Hygiene and Sanitation Software".

Interesting that they have changed the cover page from an African-centric photo to a schematic with a clear emphasis on urban/peri-urban on-site sanitation systems showing no less than three vacuum tankers... And I see a sludge drying bed right next to a house. I wouldn't want to live in that house (flies and odour). But I guess that is the artistic freedom of the artist who designed the cover page....

And to distinguish the two Elisabeths: I have the British spelling with an "s" and Liz Tilley has the American spelling with a "z" (Elizabeth).

Greetings,
Elisabeth

I see, we have 2 Elisabeths on this thread. One, the Swiss Elisabeth, and the other “power user” Elisabeth (I reckon, this means “powerful” Elisabeth – and she is powerful, beyond doubt!!!! ).

This one is for Swiss Elisabeth!! :

I have few minor suggestions:

1. The previous version was issued in 2008, a time gap of 6 years. Since, this publication is a favourite of many persons, I suggest that new editions may be issued every 6 years.

2. Please include contributors from the Asian developing countries. The present version gives an impression that it is all a “developed countries” affair. Sanitation is a major problem in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

3. In case of emerging technologies, please indicate for each technology, the merits and demerits; whether it is a mature technology, or is still at pilot stage, and where it has been used. Also, the list appears small. In the new edition, please include more.

4. In an effort to make it as a “down-to-earth” publication, I suggest that towards the end of the publication, please include a list of authoritative publications on sanitation, as “further readings.”

5. Though most may not agree, I still suggest a small section on personal and community hygiene.

All said and done, it is a superb publication. I would call it a “hands-on” publication; or a guide, or a handbook.


F H Mughal

To Doreen and any others who may be interested in hard copies:

Please send an email to Caterina Dalla Torre <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> in about a week (she is on vacation currently, and the books have not arrived).

The previous policy was to send hard copies to low-income countries for free and to charge 30 CHF (Swiss Francs) for all others (it may change, but probably not).

And as before, copies will be available in Stockholm!

Elizabeth

[This is Page 2 of the thread]


Dear Team,

Very excited that the second edition of the Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies is finally out! I have been eagerly waiting for it

Question: Is it possible to have some hard copies sent to our office in Nairobi? I would like to share some copies with some of the utilities and public health officers we work with.

Thanks and best regards,

Doreen

I had to smile when I read "power user"- and thanks for all your kind words Elisabeth.

Honestly, I had to look again to see what had changed, so the 5 new pages are:

PRE Pre-Treatment Technologies
T.1 Settler
T.2 Imhoff Tank
POST Tertiary Filtration and Disinfection
D.13 Biogas Combustion

Along with the emerging technologies section.

It is always a fairly heated debate about what to include, given the number of examples in existence, the state of development (pilot/full scale), the documentation available, and of course, our space limitations. I agree that short-rotation plantations could have easily been included, but I can't remember exactly why they didn't make the cut. I will add it to the list for version 3!

Personally, I was very happy that the Composter Filter, which has been championed by Heike Hoffman for so long, was included. The LaDePa sludge pelletizer, developed in South Africa, was another great addition.

As always, we are very happy for comments and feedback- so please feel free to email privately or directly or post your ideas here.

Elizabeth


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