Just as a follow-up, with this Nextcloud app it is very easy to get such GPS tracking working:

apps.nextcloud.com/apps/phonetrack

And Nextcloud is quite useful and easy to setup in general (I will probably offer a very basic free access on my new website watsan.eu/ in the near future).

I still have to experiment a bit with it, but it seems like this would even allow customers to check the location of the nearest truck in realtime quite easily.

Hi Linda,

Thank you for your answer.
I am a MSc studient in WASH, so not for now but maybe in the future!

All the best,
July

Hello Sir,

This study is really interesting, it shows how information technology can help for improving sanitation. One question, what is the major challenges you have found for the sustainability of this system?

Regards

looks very interesting.

Do you or anyone else have experience using these software applications ? Would you like to explain how you used the applications, who did it and what the results/benefits have been.

Jonathan

ps. If you don't have time to write a long explanation, you could consider an alternative way to share your experiences - perhaps using audio/podcast or webcam/video - or a few photos or slides with an audio voiceover.

Just for reference if someone wants to so a similar thing: There are some easy/free ways to utilize Android phones with build in GPS for the same thing. See:
www.traccar.org/
or
opengts.sourceforge.net/

Hi July

We have not yet replicated the study. We are considering where we should replicate it, and still have all the trackers. Also, since the study completion, KCCA has instituted a call Center for emptying services in Kampala. Are you considering doing something similar?

You can find more Information on our Website
www.sandec.ch/fsm_tools

Best Regards,
Linda Strande

Hi Jonathan,

The study is really interesting!
I have noticed you are not involved in the study, but do you know if it has been tested elsewhere ?

All the best,
July

Please note I am have not been involved in this study in any way ... so don't ask me any questions about it ... the reason I am posting it, and hopefully the authors will be happy I am doing so, is because I am very impressed with their excellent research which demonstrates a practicable (and presumably cost-effective given the amount of data that can be collected) methodology which could be applied in other cities to support decision-making, prioritisation, planning and potentially regulation (see below).

My only questions to the authors would be, roughly how much did it cost to undertake the survey and secondly, where there issues in getting the service providers to participate. Clearly any service provider practising illegal dumping would not want to be monitored. Although you mention that this is not practised in Kampala (according to shit flow diagram, it seems to be about 2% of the sludge removed using mechanised fecal sludge trucks). Presumably in cities where illegal dumping is more widespread, then the methodology would be harder to implement, but what do the authors think about the application for regulatory purposes. If all registered trucks had to have them fitted and the operator would be charged if caught tampering with the equipment, then it would be possible to maintain detailed database of truck movements etc. In fact, a larger company with more than a handful of trucks might appreciate this information for their own management purposes ?

best regards,

Jonathan

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GIS Analysis and Optimisation of Faecal Sludge Logistics at City-Wide Scale in Kampala, Uganda
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Authors : Lars Schoebitz, Fabian Bischoff, Christian Riuji Lohri, Charles B. Niwagaba, Rosi Siber and Linda Strande

"The objectives of this study were to use GPS (global positioning system) and GIS tools to
identify the scale of operation of mechanical faecal sludge emptying services, and to evaluate ways to optimise faecal sludge logistics at a city-wide scale to increase access to equitable sanitation services.

The employed method provides a powerful tool to optimise faecal sludge management on a city-wide scale by increasing sustainability of the planning and decision-making process, increasing access to service provision and reducing faecal sludge transport times and costs.


"The use of GIS tools for optimisation of faecal sludge collection and transport at city-wide scale provides an opportunity to increase sustainability of the planning and decision-making process by increasing access to service provision and reducing faecal sludge transport times and costs. The method is applicable anywhere, but variables need to be adapted to the local situation; for example, sufficiently detailed spatial data (e.g., GIS map layers or crowd-sourced information)."

These innovative methodologies and tools for the analyses of faecal sludge management were found to be effective for this purpose. The benefits of employing GIS analyses as a component of planning include:

Access to sanitation: Identifying areas that lack adequate access to sanitation for priority
intervention by local municipalities to increase equity of service coverage.

Underserved areas: Identifying areas where manual or mechanical private entrepreneurs could
profitably increase service provision, and increase access to faecal sludge management.

Future demand: Identifying areas with rapidly growing and high population densities with a need
for increased service provision.

Identify service areas: Locating areas outside of the municipal boundaries, which are being served by treatment plants within boundaries.

Optimise locations: Siting of treatment plants and transfer stations to optimise transport distances could greatly reduce transport costs and impacts to traffic.

Quantification and characterisation: Identifying sources of faecal sludge, which could be combined with other tools to increase accuracy of quantification and characterisation for appropriate design.

Existing infrastructure: Optimising usage of existing infrastructure.

www.eawag.ch/fileadmin/Domain1/Abteilung...analysis_kampala.pdf

www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/2/194/pdf