Back to basics - research looks down the pit

Abstract

Sanitation delivery in South Africa has increased sharply since the early 2000s, with about 17 000 units being delivered a year (excluding urban sanitation provided under the national housing programme). According to the Department of Water Affairs & Forestry, 2,8 million households have received at least basic sanitation services since 1994, with a further 3,3 million still to be served before government’s deadline of 2014. Single-pit ventilated improved pit (VIP) toilets continue to be considered the minimum level of sanitation of choice for many municipalities responsible for improving access to services in their rural and peri-urban communities, and over a million VIPs have been constructed around the country since 1994. While they remain and offer a good basic sanitation delivery option, their long-term sustainability pose a number of challenges to policymakers when the pits fill up. This is compounded by the fact that, generally, the contents of the pits or what happens to material in the pits are not well known or understood. Jay Bhagwan.

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