Chair’s comment

SANITATION IS A SOCIAL ISSUE, NOT A TECHNICAL ONE

South Africa already has numerous new, promising sanitation technologies at its disposal. But the level of acceptance and adoption is low. By Dan Naidoo, chairman, WISA

As opposed to water – which is in a pipe, delivered and accepted – sanitation options are seldom immediately received with a positive response. Unfortunately, the flushing toilet is considered the gold standard for sanitation. There is a perception that all other sanitation technologies are inferior.

Sanitation needs coordinated and facilitated discussions with the community before any technology is even trialled, let alone adopted. It requires a type of social trust (which is sadly lacking in many communities and municipalities). With sanitation, technical people need to consider social behaviour, customs, community norms, as well as local risks – and the appropriate technology needs to be strongly motivated. Engaging with communities, stakeholders and municipalities is crucial to success.

Dialogues need to happen; communities need to be consulted on the associated stressors on water resources and systems. Nonsewered sanitation is a viable and sustainable option, and all issues need to be discussed in an open and transparent manner. The design and implementation of any of these technologies/systems must evolve via social interaction, dialogue and consultation. Sanitation requires a softer approach, it’s a personal understanding that a new technology is a safe and dignified option.

Whenever there is a change in leadership, people may be more open to new ideas, options and technologies. With the election of new municipal leadership and councillors, this may hopefully be a great opportunity – through an appreciation of new ideas, driven by renewed energy – to provide dignified sanitation solutions.

Off-grid sanitation

As a water-scarce country, we simply cannot afford to keep flushing large amounts of water down the drain. The areas that desperately need sanitation typically have no access to water, so non-sewered sanitation is a reality. But the key to this is getting buy-in and an understanding of how these technologies work – and for people to know that these technologies are as good (if not better) than flushing toilets.

The Water Research Commission has done excellent work in facilitating international research and localising it with the South African Sanitation Technology Enterprise Programme (SASTEP) via piloted projects at different locations. How do we implement this technology? How do we sustain it? And how do we get it to be embraced by communities?

While we have largely been focusing specifically on water over many years, sludge handling and management has become a huge issue and risk to our communities and the environment. If these technologies are deployed into areas that are difficult to access, one needs to consider how the solids are to be managed. Waste needs to be dealt with in a responsible way and a total solution implemented.

We must be able to deliver various solutions for different areas and cultural practices. The technology is already available; it is by focusing on behaviour and acceptance that we can successfully deploy new sanitation technologies.

Dan Naidoo, chairman, WISA