Innovative Solution

Sanitation chain, Rainwater, Excreta re-use, Dry toilets

technical

Educational

This solution is based on the know-how of the local NGO Saint Gabriel, acting in Toamasina for more than 10 years. Saint Gabriel aims at developping local basic sanitation and acces to drinkable water for all. It promotes construction of dry toilets, both as private and public infrastructures, and leads sensibilization action towards the population. Saint Gabriel also leads experimentation on compost methods, promotes the construction of “Key Hole Kitchen Garden” and aims at creating incomes-generating activities.

Saint-Etienne City Council, in cooperation with Toamasina City Council, supports  this model of developement and settled a strong partnership with Saint Gabriel so as to roll out integrated sanitation services in Toamasina as well as in Saint-Etienne :

- building dry toilets and showers supplied with rainwater,

- organizing excreta collection and treatment(compost)

- organizing compost distribution,

- promoting excreta re-use as fertilizer,

- producting biogas

This solution is located in urban areas not connected to the wastewater network.

In Saint-Etienne, the solution will be developped within the “family garden” in cooperation with the local organisation in charge of these plots of land.

In Toamasina, the solution will be developped in several locations :

•  in the city center, close to public square so as to promote excreta re-use as fertilizer on a broad scale,
• in quarters facing harsh hygienic and economic conditions so as to improve access to integrated sanitation and to develop income generating activities,
• in agricultural schools, mainly in one runned by Ambatovy (canadian mining company), so as to promote excreta re-use as fertilizer towards farmers                                 

Saint-Etienne City Council and the company Stéphanoise des Eaux have created in 2010 a” Water Fund” as a way to implement the french “OUDIN’s Law”.

The executiv comitee of the Fund has decided to launch a project in cooperation with Toamasina, twin city of Saint-Etienne for more than 40 years, on the field of water and sanitation. 

Partnership with NGOs, association, private firm and institutions is a way to propose relevant actions for the population and to broadcast the solution widely.

In Toamasina, beside the city council and the Regional Direction of the Ministry of Water, strategic actors are:

• Saint Gabriel,  NGO,  leading relevant actions to promote local sanitation towards the population. This actor has been involved in the solution from its definition.
• Ambatovy, Canadian mining company , relevant technical partner to test this solution. Its Corporate Social Responsibility Department is running agricultural centers teaching different methods to improve agricultural capacity. Excreta re-use will be one of the methods to be taught.
• Association of family garden of Saint-Etienne to promote the know-how of Saint-Gabriel towards the gardeners: infrastructures of dry toilets and excreta re-use.

Ways to overcome natural hesitation about excreta re-use will be worked on by all the actors involved in the project, in Toamasina and in Saint-Etienne.

Beneficiaries of this integrated system ensure the follow-up of the solution. Indeed, the basic infrastructures (dry toilets and showers supplied with rainwater) are responding to basic needs of the population, but they are also a way to create incomes generating activities, to produce electricity through biogas and to improve agricultural capacities thanks to compost.

During the last 10 years, Saint Gabriel has built more than 2500 dry toilets in Toamasina (public and private equipements). In cooperation with Saint-Etienne City Council, it will  identify actors collecting excreta so as to organize the collect in safe conditions and prepare composting. Experiments on excreta re-used as fertilizer will be lead by Ambatovy, technical partner on this project.

Meanwhile, dry toilets will be built in Saint-Etienne and composting methods aiming at re-using excreta will be studied in cooperation with the malgasy NGO.

In Toamasina, inhabitants are facing a lack of basic sanitation services and harsh conditions of living.

In Saint-Etienne, gardners are looking for solution to build local sanitation equipements in areas not connected to the wasterwater network . They are also thinking of a way to preserve water,  re-use waterrain and improve capacity of their plots of land.

The solution will improve access to local basic sanitation for the population of Toamasina. It also aims at demonstrating that integrated local sanitation systems are relevant and successfull solution with limited cost. These system can bring other services than basic toilets :

• they can be a way to re-use rainwater
• they are a way to preserve groundwater
• they are a way to produce organic fertilizer
• they can be a way to produce electricity with biogas
• they can create incomes generating activities (collecting excreta, composting, distributing compost…)

The solution also aims at demonstrating that nuisance can be turned into resources :

•  rainwater collected and re-used to supply showers
• excreta collected to be turned into organic fertilizer
• excreta collected to produce biogas

Indicators of success:

• draining sector structured
• compost sector structured (collect, methods of composting, distribution)
• 10 dry toilets with showers supplied with rainwater built and used by the population
• involvement of the beneficiaries in the management of the infrastructures

This solution aims at promoting know-how of northern countries in southern countries, where climate changes and sustainable developement should be taken into account in a more accurate way.

Wastewater systems as we built them in northern countries are no longer a sustainable solution.  At the same time, protecting water ressources and groundwater is an accurate issue to be dealt with in northern countries. Solutions used in southern countries, such as dry toilets, need to be reinforced and developped among several activities that would ensure their efficiency.

The solution that can be developped where access to local basic sanitation services and to wastewater network is not granted , where draining sector is not  structured, where agricultural activities can be improved …

To lead this solution successfully, actors have to work carefully on the way to overcome natural hesitation of the population towards excreta re-use. Beneficiaries of the infrastructure have to be involved in the decision making process (location, management, basic rules of use…) and to be well aware of the economical activities that are to be developped.

Minimum investment necessary :

• a local structure leading the project in close cooperation with beneficiaries and local institution
• project manager working on the field
• project coordonator to ensure efficient partnership between the differents actors involved
• strong political will to implement the solution both in northern and southern countries

Sigolène Saunier-Hrustic

International Relations Deputy Manager

Saint-Etienne City Council

0033 (0)477 48 63 29

sigolene.saunier@saint-etienne.fr