Addis Ababa University

Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development

Program of Construction Technology and Management

Sewage Treatment and Disposal

Worksheet on Basic Sanitation Technologies

1. Design a pit latrine for a family of six who plan to dig a pit with an operational life of 20
years. The family uses newspaper and corncobs for anal cleaning, and sullage is disposed
of separately.

2. A family of six intends to construct a pit latrine to last 20 years. The family uses water for
anal cleaning and intends to use the toilet as a bathing area. Design a pit latrine
knowing that the ground is mainly fine sand with a water table 4.5 m below the surface.
Assume the volume of water entering the pit each day is 200lit.

3. Design an offset pour-flush double-pit latrine (operational life of 2 years) that is going to
be constructed for a family of six who use water for anal cleaning. The groundwater
table is within 3.0 m of the surface during the rainy season and the soil is sandy silt.
Assume that the total daily inflow of liquid to the pit is 70lit.

4. Design a septic tank for a household having five occupants in a medium density housing
area in which the houses have full plumbing. Only WC wastes go to the septic tank (the
WC has a 10-liter cistern and each person flushes it four times a day), and paper is used
for anal cleaning. The ambient temperature is more than 10°C throughout the year.
Assume sewage retention of 24hrs and 3 years period between desludgings.

5. Determine the size of soak pit required in porous silty clay to dispose of the effluent from
the septic tank considered in Question 4.

6. Design a septic tank suitable for a household with up to eight occupants in a low-density
housing area in which the houses have full plumbing, all household wastes go to the
septic tank and the nominal water supply is 200 lit per person per day. Water is used for
anal cleaning and the ambient temperature is not less than 25°C for most of the year.
Assume sewage retention of 24hrs and 3 years period between desludgings.

7. Determine the size of drainage field required in porous silty clay to dispose of the effluent
from the septic tank considered in Question 6.