Sanitation Systems
We assessed high-value near-term engineering innovations in Indian sanitation.
According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program, India remains a major region lacking access to improved sanitation systems. Centralized, sewered systems that are widely-used in North America and Europe tend to be resource inefficient and are also cost-prohibitive at lower population densities. Rural India makes use of household treatment systems that are infeasible at higher population densities. Our initial analysis showed that this effect creates a "missing middle" where meso-scale population densities do not have a sustainable sanitation option.
Re-use of nutrient-rich, untreated waste water on an Indian farm in Gujarat. Pathogen removal and nutrient re-use are key parts of successful sanitation systems.
A modification of a dual pit latrine by a mason in Gujarat. In general, dual pit latrines are a simple system capable of waste treatment and nutrient re-use in areas with suitable hydrology.
Our research maps widely-used community-scale sanitation technologies against key technical and socioeconomic requirements of under-served Indian market segments. Using this framework, we are able to identify high-value opportunities for sanitation solution development.
Since 2014 the Central Indian government has been mass-building sanitation infrastructure to curb open defecation. This men’s urinal (that empties into a nearby ditch) is one such example in rural India.
An installation of a planted gravel bed for combined graywater and blackwater treatment designed by Hunnarshala. This system is capable of recycling the treated water for uses like flushing toilets and irrigation. One major complaint of sanitation systems is that they are unsightly or smelly. This is designed to be a multi-purpose gathering space.
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An assessment of high-value near-term engineering innovations for Indian sanitation
Elliott Donlon, Master’s Thesis (MIT, August 2020)