Streams of shit: Sanergy to the rescue?

As we have discussed in previous posts, one of the most effective ways to prevent dangerous sanitation practices, such as open defecation, is to maintain a well-functioning toilet that is safe and accessible for all. So how can we do this?

Although current practices and facilities are less than adequate, the question is not whether to wipe them out and replace them with large-scale networked infrastructures, but instead, we need to tap into the everyday micro-politics of sanitation, to create a more dignified and safe sanitation experience. 

A market-based approach: the "Fresh Life" toilet

Take a look in this video below:

Sanergy was designed in response to rapid urbanisation and impending water scarcity. As a result of densely populated informal urban settlements, there is an abundance of human waste. Imagine if your waste wasn't flushed away after every visit to the toilet. Where would you put it? What if this was the case for your entire household? Or your entire village? Slums are lined with streams of shit, which not only pose much danger in terms of the health of the community, but also slows business operations, further hindering the economic productivity of these communities, echoing Pietrese's slum producing logic. 

The idea behind Sanergy was to build a dense network of low-cost high quality waterless toilets that are franchised to community members who run them as businesses. The waste is then collected and removed from the community by sanitation workers, where it is taken to the peripheries of Nairobi to a waste processing site to be converted into valuable products. These products consist of fertiliser or protein animal feed, both of which help to address food security in the region. The waste can also be converted into biogas to help service the production plants and operations, thereby reducing the environmental impact of this service. 

The Sanergy toilets are operational 24 hours a day and thus this model also aims to eliminate issues surrounding safety and access which is particularly important for girls and women in urban informal settlements. 

Seems like the perfect solution doesn't it?

Lets reflect...

A study was conducted in Nairobi, within two informal settlements in order to compare Sanergy systems against the regular toilet. Household surveys indicated that most Sanergy users were content in all four divisions: cleanliness, smell, functionality and possibility to wash hands, as shown below in figure 1. 

Figure 1: Means and standard divisions of user satisfaction for users of Sanergy and regular toilets

Although these scores were relatively high, some residents have presented resistance to these facilities as they are implemented by a western development agency, with little connection and regard to the opinions of local community members.

Furthermore, Nairobi is characterised by a patchwork system of land ownership and tenure, which raises questions about the applicability of this model. There is less incentive for a landlord to purchase a toilet for home owners, as the landlords receive no direct return on investment, unless greater rent is requested from tenants. It is important in this case to consider a how a number of imperfect, but functioning alternatives, can complement each-other.

As a final thought, we ought to consider that the current portfolio of privatised alternatives that exist in Nairobi could be leaving the state off the hook. Alone, private providers cannot develop the overall strategy of provision. These governments need to step in in order to provide direction, regulation and financial support...