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Sanitation Technology Platform (STeP)
RTI Intern Showcase, August 6th, 2015
Ameya Benegal
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2. Overview of STeP
 Sanitation-Technology Platform (STeP) is a project that RTI is
implementing in 3 locations:
– Coimbatore, India
– Durban, South Africa
– Dakar, Senegal
 Funded by the Gates Foundation to support testing of technologies
under the Foundation’s Reinvent the Toilet challenge
 The primary technology we are testing connects toilets in an
apartment to a machine that processes human waste and reuses it
as recycled flush water
 Salts in Human urine are oxidized to make chlorine for water disinfection
 Solid human waste will be consumed within the processing system, and fecal
sludge is eliminated in the process
 Treated waste is moved up to the apartment building, and the next time someone
flushes their toilets, it will be filled with clean, treated water
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3. My Duties
 Conduct research on global sanitation issues worldwide, along with
the countries and cities of focus
 Analyze survey data from numerous apartment testing sites in
Coimbatore
 Research various sanitation projects in Senegal, and looking at RTI’s
potential role in future
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4. Global Sanitation Overview

5. Global Sanitation Issues Overview
 A 2012 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Report showed the countries that
account for almost three-quarters of people who practice open defecation:
1. India (626 million)
2. Indonesia (63 million)
3. Pakistan (40 million)
4. Ethiopia (38 million)
5. Nigeria (34 million)
6. Sudan (19 million)
7. Nepal (15 million)
8. China (14 million)
9. Niger (12 million)
10. Burkina Faso (9.7 million)
11. Mozambique (9.5 million)
12. Cambodia (8.6 million)
Between Demographic Health Survey (DHS) studies
from 2010-2013 on Diarrheal Prevalence Issues:
• Niger, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Ethiopia
have among the worst access to adequate
sanitation (% of populations)
• Indonesia and Pakistan have the best records for
private, improved sanitation to civilians
• But Pakistan has highest overall diarrheal
prevalence rate for Children Under 5 Years
• Diarrheal prevalence rates were lower among
populations with access to private-improved
facilities than non-improved/shared
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6. Location-Specific Sanitation Overviews

7. Sanitation in India
 Overview:
– From 2008 UNICEF Facts Sheet:
 31% of India’s population use improved sanitation
 In rural India, 21% use improved sanitation facilities
 11 % of rural families dispose child stools safely
 80 % children’s stools are left in the open or thrown into the garbage
– From 2012 WHO-UNICEF JMP:
 An estimated 626 million people were reported to practice open defecation
 Accounts for roughly 59% of the world who practice open defecation
 More than twice the number of the next 18 countries combined
 This is over 50% of India’s population
 Impacts:
– In 2006, poor sanitation cost India roughly $54 billion (6.4% of the
country’s GDP)
– In 2010:
 Estimated 25,589,400 years of life were lost due to premature mortality, and
594,159 deaths were reported to have been attributed to diarrheal diseases
 Death rate attributed to diarrheal diseases was 48.5 in 100,000
 China’s is 0.33; Pakistan 41.69; Nepal 33.34; Sri Lanka 8.08; Bangladesh
12.08
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8. Sanitation in South Africa
 Overview:
– From a WHO/UNICEF Report looking at 1990-2012
 Access to Improved Facilities has increased from 58% to 74%
 Access to shared facilities increased from 10% to 13%
 Open defecation decreased from 14% to 5%
– From survey by Health Systems Trust (HST) from 2009-2010 to 2013-
2014:
 Diarrheal dehydration incidence rate for children under 5 years decreased from
21.1 to 14.1 (per 1,000 children)
 Diarrheal fatality rate for children under 5 years decreased from 7.1% to 3.9%
• Diarrheal dehydration incidence rate for children under 5 years decreased
from 21.1 to 14.1 (per 1,000 children)
• Diarrheal fatality rate for children under 5 years decreased from 7.1% to 3.9%
 Impacts:
– In 2010:
 17,614 deaths were reported to have been attributed to diarrheal disease
 death rate attributed to diarrheal diseases was 35.06 deaths in 100,000 people
 Botswana’s is 16.11; Mozambique 54.6; Zimbabwe 60.1; Lesotho 98.62;
Swaziland 77.8; Namibia 43.98
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9. Sanitation in Senegal
 Overview:
– In a 2010-2011 Demographic Health Survey:
 66% of urban population had access to improved, private sanitation facilities
 30% of rural population had access to improved, private sanitation facilities
 20.6% of urban population had access improved, shared facilities
 8% of rural population had access to shared facilities
 13.2% of urban population used non-improved sanitation facilities
 62% of rural population accessed non-improved facilities
– In 2012:
 52% of the population had access to improved sanitation facilities
 In 2011 it was 51%, and 50% in 2010
 Impacts:
– In 2010:
 7,854 deaths were reported to have been attributed to diarrheal diseases
 Death rate attributed to diarrheal diseases was 63.01 deaths in 100,000
people
 Guinea-Bissau’s is 84.32; Guinea 46.47; Mauritania 48.1; Gambia 30.41; Mali
62.04
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10. Survey Analysis

11. Survey Analysis of Sites in Coimbatore
 I analyzed 27 sites in Coimbatore that met certain criteria such as
number of floors, availability of site space, utilities
– In addition to tables below, I provided descriptive statistics for costs of
sewage and electricity connection, along with rent
 These analyses were needed as the STeP team needed to identify which sites
would be ideal for testing, and then being able to speak to the apartments’
respective landlords
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Table 1. Socio-Economic Status Projections
Status Frequency Distribution
Low Income 4 14.8%
Lower Middle-Income 15 55.6%
Refuse/No Answer 8 29.6%
Total 27 100.0%
Table 2. Most Common Type of Toilet in Household
Toilet Type Frequency Distribution
Squat Plate (Indian) 20 74.1%
Pedestal (Western) 3 11.1%
Both 4 14.8%
Total 27 100.0%
Based on the sample, the majority of apartments appear to be lower middle-income, and most use the Indian Squat
Plate toilet.

12. Overview of Sanitation Projects in Senegal

13. Overview of Sanitation-Related Projects in Senegal
 Major donors for Senegal:
– World Bank
 Water Sanitation Program (WSP) Trust Fund
– African Development Bank
– International Development Agencies from: Belgium, France, US, Japan, and
Luxembourg
 Major Senegalese agencies focusing on sanitation:
– National Sanitation Office of Senegal (ONAS)
 Has also received 3 grants from Gates Foundation
– Ministry for Water and Sanitation
– Ministry of Health / National Hygiene Service
 Major regions of focus in Senegal:
– For typically urban-focused projects: Dakar and Ziguinchor
– For more rural-focused projects: Matam, Louga, Kaffrine, and Kaolack
 Projects typically consist of:
– Expanding networks to houses
– Providing and promoting use of latrines
– Improving delivery frameworks
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