Dr. Md.

Mujibur Rahman
Professor of Civil Engineering

Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology AUST

Dhaka, Spring (November) 2022

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 1

  Introduction to sanitation, sanitation and disease, sanitation scenario of Bangladesh,
classification of wastes and sanitation system (1wk)
 On-site sanitation system for rural and low-income urban communities; simple pit
technology: single and twin-pit latrine system (1wk)
 Pour flash sanitation technology; design of leach pits (1wks)
 Septic tank system: design of septic tank and effluent disposal (2wks)
 Small Bore Sewerage System (1 wk)
 Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) (1 wk)
 Wastewater characteristics; microbiology of sewage; sewage treatment, preliminary
treatment: screen, grit removal, balancing tank; primary treatment: sedimentation tank
(2wks)
 Secondary treatment of sewage: biological treatment process (stabilization ponds,
trickling filter, activated sludge process); secondary clarifier (3wks)
 Advanced wastewater treatment: nutrient removal (1wk)
 Sludge treatment and disposal, treatment of industrial effluents (1wks)
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 2
  Ahmed M.F., and Rahman, M.M. (2010) Water Supply and
Sanitation: Rural and Low Income Urban Communities, ITN-
Bangladesh, BUET, Dhaka

 Peavy H.S., Rowe D.R. and Tchobanoglous G. (1987)

Environmental Engineering, McGraw-Hill International Edition.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 3

 “Sanitation” may be defined as the science and practice of effecting
healthful and hygienic conditions, and involves the study and use of
hygienic measures, such as:
 Safe and reliable water supply
 Proper disposal of all “human waste”
 Proper drainage of wastewater
 Prompt removal of all refuse (solid waste)

WHO even includes food sanitation, rainwater drainage, solid waste

disposal and atmospheric/indoor air pollution under sanitation.
However, in the context of Bangladesh and many other developing
countries, the term “sanitation” commonly refers to disposal of
human waste / excreta, household wastewater, or domestic/ sanitary
sewage.
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
  Proper sanitation can control many “human waste/ excreta” related
diseases.
 Important to have clear understanding of such diseases and their
“transmission routes”.
 Excreta-related diseases are caused by disease producing
microorganisms, called “pathogens” that are excreted by people
already infected with disease.
Common diseases caused by pathogens:

 Bacteria: Cholera, Bacillary dysentry, typhoid,

and para-typhoid
 Viruses: Hepatitis, Poliomylitis, Diarrhea
 Protozoa: Amebic dysentry, Giardiasis
 Helminths: Schistosomiasis (bilharzia or snail fever)

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Classification of Excreta-Related Diseases:
(1) Excreted Infections (direct transmission of
pathogens): Cholera, Typhoid (also by insect-vector)
Direct
Infected New
Excreta Transmission Infections

(2) Vector-transmitted Diseases: Schistosomiasis

Infected Vector New
Excreta Breeding Infections

Insects (flies, mosquito); Cockroach;

Rat; Animals (cow, pig); Snail
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
 Transmission of Excreted Pathogens: Depends on
 Excreted Load (Number of Pathogens Excreted)
 Changes in Number of Pathogens in the Environment

Changes in Number of Pathogens Depend on:

 Latency (i.e., how long it takes for the pathogens to become
infective)
 Persistence (i.e., how long pathogens survive in the environment)

 Multiplication (i.e., ability of pathogens to multiply)

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Understanding Transmission of Diseases:
(Ref: Table 8.1 Chapter 8, Text)
Category Transmission Example Transmission
Features Infections Focus
Bacterial Non-latent (i.e., can cause infection Cholera Personal;
Fecal-Oral directly after being excreted.) Typhoid Domestic
Medium/low infectivity Water;
Medium/high persistence Crops
Able to multiply
No intermediate host

Environmental classification of excreta-related diseases in Table 8.1

provides important information about transmission features, infection
types, and also provides the framework for control of these diseases.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 “Fecal-Oral” Transmission Routes of Diseases: The f-diagram

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Effect of “Sanitation” on Disease Transmission

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Interrelationship
among water,
sanitation, and
hygiene

WASH: Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Important issues for controlling excreta-related diseases:
 Sanitation is clearly the most important intervention
required for the control of excreta related diseases.

 Also important is improved personal and domestic

hygiene, through improved water supplies and improved
housing.

 Animal excreta control and effective sullage and solid

waste disposal must also be addressed to control all
categories of excreta related diseases.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Important Terms & Definitions

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 13

 1. Human Waste or Human Excreta: refers to only human feces
and urine. Also known as “night soil” when collected without
dilution in large volumes of water.

2. Municipal sewage/ wastewater: Liquid waste conveyed by

sewer and may include domestic and industrial discharge as well
as storm water, groundwater infiltration and inflow.

3. Domestic/ sanitary sewage: Liquid waste that originates in

sanitary conveniences, e.g., water closets, urinals, baths, sinks,
etc. of dwellings, commercial facilities and institutions in a
community. Sometimes it is also referred to as sanitary sewage.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 4. Black water: Wastewater containing human waste (fecal
matter, urine), i.e., toilet wastewater. It contains pathogens and
must be treated before releasing into environment.

5. Sullage or Greywater: Water coming from domestic equipment

other than toilets (e.g., bathtubs, showers, sinks, washing
machines). It is often separated from “black water” to reduce the
amount of water that gets heavily polluted.

Separation of black water and greywater nowadays happens with

all ecological/ smart buildings. Greywater could be reused for
different purposes (other than potable use) after primary treatment.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 6. Industrial Wastes: Liquid discharges from spent water in
different industrial processes such as manufacturing and food
processing.

7. Storm water: Surface runoff immediately and after rainfall,

which enters sewers through inlets. Strom water is usually not very
polluted, and could be carried though open drains/ channels and
disposed of in rivers/ streams/ khals.

8. Solid waste: Includes all materials that are normally solid and
are discarded as useless or unwanted. It includes decomposable
organic waste, e.g., kitchen waste, inorganic materials, metals,
glasses etc.
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
 9. Fecal sludge: Sludge removed from all kinds of on-site
sanitation systems such as septic tanks, pit latrines, community
multiple pit system, etc.

10. Septage: Fecal sludge (settled solids, scum) and liquid

effluent that accumulates in septic tanks.

11. Sewage Sludge: Sludge generated at the sewage treatment

plants as a result of sewage digestion process is termed as
sewage sludge. Sewage sludge is often more problematic than
fecal sludge from household toilet facilities because it contains
contaminants from industrial wastewaters.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Classification of Sanitation System

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 18

 Sanitation systems are called ‘on-site sanitation systems’ when the
wastes are collected, treated and disposed of at or close to the
point of generation.
Example: Pour-flush Pit latrines (rural, urban slum)

Super structure

Pit

Open Brick Work

100 mm diameter
or
pipe
R.C.C Rings (open
jointed)

Liquid Infiltration
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
 Example: Septic Tank System (primarily urban application)

Fecal
Sludge

Scum

Sludge
Sludge

20
 Basic Principle:
 Liquids infiltrate into soil (infiltration capacity of soil, and
location of groundwater table important issues)
 Solids are retained (confined) and digested

Features:
 Designed to dispose of human waste only

 Wastewater from other sources (kitchen, washing,

bathing) has to be disposed separately
 Suitable for sparsely settled rural areas with low
population density, and low water consumption
 Not feasible in areas with: (a) high population density, (b)
low infiltration capacity of soil
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
 Sanitation systems are called ‘off-site sanitation systems’ when
the wastes are collected and transported to somewhere else for
treatment and disposal.
Example: Conventional sewerage system; Small-bore Sewerage
System (SBS)

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Features:
 Collection and transportation of waste through a sewer system
requires that the waste be diluted by water.
 Hence piped water supply is essential

 Most satisfactory system of waste disposal, provided sufficient

funds are available for its construction and maintenance.
 Because of high cost, preferable to introduce gradually; where
possible existing sanitation system (e.g., septic tank system)
should be upgraded and improved (e.g., SBS system utilizing
existing septic tank system; will be discussed later in the course)

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 a) Dry Sanitation System: No water is used for the dilution of
waste. Applied in areas with no piped water supply. Example: Pit
latrines (rural, on-site), Bucket latrines (urban, off-site)

b) Wet Sanitation System: Waste is diluted with flushes of water

(to carry it away from the point of generation). Example: Septic tank
system (on-site), conventional sewerage system (off-site)

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 (i) Permeable System: Allows infiltration of liquid portion of waste
into soil.
Example: Pit latrines

(ii) Confined System: Does not allow infiltration of liquid portion of

waste into soil.
Example: Septic tank (not septic tank system, which also includes a
soakage pit)

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

  Level of Water Supply:
◦ Pit latrines would not be appropriate with piped water supply
◦ Water borne system (e.g., conventional sewerage system) is
not feasible with bucket-carried or hand pump water supply
 Population Density:
◦ On site system are more appropriate for low-density rural
settings, and low density urban areas
◦ Off-site systems are suitable for high density urban centers

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
 Rural Areas (without piped water supply):
 Pit latrines
 Pour-flush latrines
 Hanging latrines/ open defecation
Urban Areas
 Septic tank system
 Conventional/ water-borne sewerage system
(only in Dhaka, coverage estimates about 20%)
 Direct connection to storm drainage system (with or without
septic tank) and surface drains
 Slum/ low income areas: Pit latrines/ Hanging latrines/ Open
defecation
 Decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWATS): pilot
scale application in some slums
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman
 Bangladesh SMOSS Study, 2020
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 29
  Fecal sludge (FS) of OSS is a growing concern
 Lack of proper management of FS is forcing many to intentionally
discharge fecal matter directly into storm drains, adjacent water
bodies or low-lying areas.
 Absence of fecal sludge management (FSM) services is a
major contributing factor in the overall environmental degradation
of the country and is giving rise to significant environmental and
public health concerns.

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman

 Fecal Sludge
Not Properly Managed
Pit

Liquid
Infiltration

© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 31

 Absence of soak pit:
Fecal Sludge management absent serious concern

Scum

Sludge
Sludge

Mostly absent
32
© Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman 11/13/2022