Dear Mathews,
Thank you for sharing this study. It is interesting that the FSTP you studied gets more FS load than what the plant is designed for. In India, most of the FSTPs do not get adequate load, threatening their continued operations. See this study by CSE here. 

I was wondering if a longer version of this study is available. If yes, it would be great if you could post a link to it or share here (if permitted). It will also know more about the parameters for which the treatment efficiency is analysed and how it performs. 

Thanks 
paresh

Abstract:
Sixty to seventy percent of the population in major cities of less-developed countries relies on onsite sanitation systems (OSS) such as septic tanks and pit latrines for the disposal of containment of human excreta. A critical and persistent challenge in these urban settings isunsafely managed faecal sludge (FS)- defined as raw or partially digested material, typically in a slurry or semi-solid form, and anything else that accumulates in on-site sanitation systems, which poses a serious public health risk and widespread environmental contamination. Approximately 3,100 m3 of FS were generated daily within Lusaka’s peri-urban areas, and more than half of which remained uncollected, continuing to negatively affect public health and contaminate the environment. In the past two decades, there has been consensus among researchers, sanitary engineers, public health practitioners, and governments that FS must be contained at the point of generation, emptied, collected, and transported to a properly operated FS treatment plant for treatment (FSTP) and resource recovery. Manchinchi FSTP was designed to dewater both latrine and septage sludge with a combined capacity of 109 m3/day, as a means of safeguarding public health and minimizing environmental contamination. However, FSTPs are a relatively new waste treatment technology; as such, some of the treatment mechanisms and operational parameters are not fully developed relative to those associated with wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, there was a dearth of need to regularly conduct operational performance assessments to determine their functionality and effectiveness in meeting their design objective and fill the knowledge gap. Therefore, a case study following a mixed method was designed to serve that purpose, and in so doing, compared the operational and design hydraulic and organic loading rates, determined the efficiency and effectiveness of individual treatment units in meeting their design objectives, observed the turnaround time for vehicles that deliver FS to Manchinchi FSTP, and the occupational health and safety practices of its operators. Primary data was collected through FS sample analysis, field observation, and Key Informant Interviews, and secondary data was collected through relevant literature review and plant records. The major findings of the study are that more volumes of FS are delivered to Manchinchi FSTP than it was handling, the FSTP was serving its primary design purpose of dewatering FS, albeit with a few operational challenges, and most importantly, the grit chamber or sand trap installed was inadequately designed to handle the type of FS generated across Lusaka. Additionally, recommendations were made on how best to improve its operation and available resource recovery options.

Keywords: Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant, Operational Performance, Lusaka, Occupational Health and safety and resource recovery.