Hi Cecile,
I did not continue with the work. There is far too much politics involved with the management of human waste in coastal communities on the Connecticut Shoreline. Although the Department of Public Health has promulgated a regulation that authorizes the director of public health in a community to approve the installation of composting toilets, the directors are reticent to promote their use.
The micro flush toilet promoted by professor Steve Mecca from Providence College is an excellent solution to the problem of excessive quantities of nitrogen in effluent that ultimately leaches into the groundwater.
Visit the PC website or just Google Steve Mecca's name and you should find his contact info. He will be more than willing to help you.
John

Dear Jason,

I am undertaking a research on sanitation solutions for floating communities/ flood prone areas in Cambodia around Tonle Sap Lake. I am currently reviewing past and existing projects in Cambodia and in the region, to assess strengths and weaknesses of existing solutions and to build low cost latrines for 35 000 HH.
Could you give me a feed back on your research? Did you make a final report or a publication?

Best,

Cécile

Jason,
I am a member of an ad hoc committee addressing sea level rise in Old Saybrook CT. Our committee was composed of several subcommittees. I was on the subcommittee concerned with public health issues pertaining to future estimates of sea level rise. I focused on low lying areas along the Long Island Sound that already are vulnerable to severe damage from storms and heavy rains. These areas have been designated as zones requiring an upgrade in septic systems as a result of an agreement between the town and the state of Connecticut. When this agreement was reached many years ago, the issue of sea level rise was not a relevant factor in the decision process. Today it is relevant. Consequently, the plan to replace failed septic systems with new ones is flawed. The water table in these areas is too high to permit the proper operation of a septic system. Effluent will continue to leach into the groundwater and ultimately into Long Island Sound. This creates several health issues. First, harmful pathogens can be discharged into recreational waters posing a serious health hazard for bathers. Second, the effluent is rich in Nitrates and Phosphate causing the algae blooms in Long Island Sound during the late summer that creates hypoxia conditions causing the significant loss of aquaculture.
My solution to the problem is the introduction of micro flush composting toilets. One of the many benefits of the composting toilet is the ease with which it can be dismantled and removed when the subject property is ultimately lost to the rising sea. The local public health director is authorized by state regulation to permit the installation of composting toilets meeting state standards. I know of one public health director in CT that has permitted a composting toilet in a residence.
I have seen these micro flush toilets in operation in Ghana. They are very effective. They produce no odor and do not attract flies.
The problem in my community is behavioral. It is very convenient to flush and forget.
I mention this to you because I wanted you to understand my experience with composting toilets to see if I would be a suitable subject to provide responses to your survey.
Let me know if you would like me to take the survey.

We are still looking for survey takers for our study on Sanitation in Flood-prone Areas. We are 6 surveys away from meeting our goals and need your help to get there. If you started the survey, and were unable to finish, feel free to take the survey again.

If you have implemented or researched sanitation projects in flood-prone areas, please take a moment to complete our survey. It should take about 10-15 minutes to finish and is completely anonymous: svy.mk/1IlNtt9

I look forward to hearing from and you can reach me at +1 202-999-8226 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are still looking for survey takers and interview participants for our study on Sanitation in Flood-prone Areas. The surveys should take about 10 minutes to complete: Brief Survey on Sanitation and Flooding . The interviews should take less than 30 minutes and can be done at your convenience. Both the survey and interviews are completely anonymous.

I look forward to hearing from and you can reach me at +1 202-999-8226 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you for posting Dan. I am still searching for survey takers and interview candidates.

I also wanted to make a correction on the email address. It is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with no period in the middle.

Dear Colleagues:

Please see the note below from Jason Lopez.

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I am a masters student at the George Washington University (in the U.S.). As part of my thesis, I am collaborating on research that aims to better understand the options for sanitation in flood-prone areas. The aims of the study are to identify best practices, barriers, and technical methods for the implementation of sanitation in flood-prone areas. If you have had experience working on sanitation in flood-prone areas, I would greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences. If you are willing, I invite you to participate in the following brief online survey: Survey on Sanitation in Flood Prone Areas

In addition to the online surveys, I will be conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with individuals who work on sanitation in flood-prone areas in Cambodia. If you have implemented a sanitation project in a flood-prone area in Cambodia, and you're interested in being part of the study, please let me know and I will forward you the informed consent form to enroll you in the study. The interview should take less than 30 minutes and can be conducted over skype, Google hangout, or over the phone, at your convenience.

Finally, if you believe that you know of someone who would be suited for this study, please feel free to forward me his or her contact information. I appreciate your time and assistance, and please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Jason Lopez, MPH Candidate – Global Environmental Health
The George Washington University
+1 (202) 999-8226
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Skype: jas.lop l LinkedIn

Dear WASH collegues,

I am an MPH student at the George Washington University (GW) School of Public Health. As part of my thesis, I am currently working with Dr. Jay Graham (at GW) and Mike Hopewell (in Cambodia) to conduct a mixed-methods study on better UNDERSTANDING OPTIONS FOR SANITATION IN FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. The aims of the study are identifying best practices, barriers, and technical methods for the implementation of sanitation in flood-prone areas.

Your work and area of expertise make you ideal candidates for the study and your insights will be of value. I would greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences, as I think many people need to hear the reality of working in the field, from those who are doing it. If you are willing, I invite you all to participate in the following brief online survey: svy.mk/1IlNtt9

In addition to the online surveys, I will be conducting qualitative interviews specific to Cambodia. If you have implemented sanitation project in a flood-prone area of the country, or know someone who has, please let me know and I will forward you the informed consent form. The interview should take less than 30 minutes and can be conducted over skype, hangouts, or over the phone, at your convenience.

If you believe that you know of someone who would be suited for this, please feel free to forward me his or her contact information. I appreciate your time and assistance.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jason Lopez
MPH Candidate – Global Environmental Health
The George Washington University
+1 (202) 999-8226
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
@xasonlopez
Skype: jas.lop
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaslop