Summary

In this Study Session, you have learned that:

• Traditional pit latrines pose health and environmental risks and are frequently structurally unsafe.
• Shared latrines are used by two or more households; the term also applies to communal and public latrines.
• Improved latrines ensure the hygienic separation of human waste from people. They should be safe to use and easy to maintain.
• Pit latrines must be located and designed with care and constructed using appropriate techniques and locally available materials.
• The required depth of a proposed pit can be calculated from the number of users, the sludge accumulation rate, the required lifetime of the pit and the cross-sectional area of the proposed pit.
• Improved facilities include ventilated improved pit latrines, ecological sanitation systems such as the Arborloo, urine-diverting latrines and biogas latrines, and pour-flush or cistern-flush toilets which are appropriate if water is available.
• Selection of latrine technologies depends on location, the availability of materials and costs. Due consideration must be given to safety and accessibility and the needs and wishes of users.