Waste Management
According to WHO, poor waste disposal practices are responsible for a significant proportion of the world's infectious disease burden. In many areas, municipal sewage is often mixed with industrial waste and in some regions very little wastewater receives treatment before it is discharged into the environment. Resources available in this sub-theme include assessment reports of wastewater treatment plants, national strategies for sewage disposal, among other resources that support sustainable waste management.
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Waste Management Resources
Water for the World: Operating and Maintaining Compost Toilets
U.S. Agency for International Development
Maintaining a compost toilet involves keeping it clean and periodically changing vaults and removing compost. Maintaining a compost toilet requires monthly inspection and repair damage. This manual provides a guide to correctly using compost toilets and effectively operating and maintaining them.Read more
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United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Septic Tanks
U.S. Agency for International Development
A septic tank is a self-operating unit for sewage treatment. The tank receives raw sewage from a building, allows solids to settle out, and discharges effluent to an underground (subsurface) absorption system for final disposal. This technical note describes each step in constructing a septic tank.Read more
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United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Stabilization Ponds
U.S. Agency for International Development
A stabilization pond is a large shallow excavation that receives sewage from a sewage system, detains the sewage so that biological processes can destroy most of the disease-causing organisms, and discharges the effluent as treated sewage. This technical note describes how to construct a...Read more
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United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Compost Toilets
U.S. Agency for International Development
A compost toilet consists of a pair of waterproof vaults that receive excreta, ashes, sawdust, straw, and grass. Each vault is equipped with a slab for defecating, a rear opening for removing compost, and a hole for a vent pipe. This technical manual provides step-by-step instructions for...Read more
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United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Operating and Maintaining Privies
U.S. Agency for International Development
A privy consists of a pit to hold excreta, a slab with a squatting hole or a seat and pedestal, and a shelter to give the user privacy. Maintaining a privy involves cleaning the slab weekly, repairing the privy as needed, and eventually filling the pit with soil and moving the slab and shelter to a...Read more
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United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Sewer Systems
U.S. Agency for International Development
A sewer system is a network of underground pipes that carries sewage by gravity flow from a number of dwellings. This technical note describes the elements involved in constructing a sewer system.Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaDon't see what you're looking for? You can search USWP member sites, request a resource, or contact the USWP.