What are the disrinctive features of Sulabh toilet
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Key advantages of Sulabh flush composting toilets are:
Hygienically and technically appropriate, and socio-culturally acceptable.Affordable and easy to construct with locally available materials.Design and specifications can be modified to suit householder’s needs and affordability.Eliminates mosquito, insect and fly breeding.Can be constructed in different physical, geological and hydrogeological conditions.Free from health hazards and does not pollute surface or ground water, if proper precautions and safeguards are taken during construction.Can be located within the premises as it is free from foul smell and fly/mosquito nuisance etc.Can be constructed on upper floors of houses.Pits are generally designed for 3-year desludging interval, but if desired, it can be designed for longer periods or it can be reduced even to two years.Maintenance is easy, simple and costs very little.Needs only 1.5 to 2 litres of water for flushing, while conventional flush toilet needs 12 to 14 litres of water.Needs less space than a septic tank toilet system.Does not need scavengers for cleaning the pits or disposal of sludge. This can be done by the householder.Makes available rich fertilizer and soil conditioner.Can be easily connected to sewers when introduced in the area.A low volume flushing cistern could be attached to avoid pour flushing.
No Need of Vent Pipe
Sulabh flush compost toilets do not need vent pipes as gases are dispersed into the soil.
Why Two Pits are Better Than One Pit
Single leach pit is appropriate only if they can be desludged mechanically by a vacuum tanker, since its contents are not pathogen-free. In the two-pit system, since one pit is used at a time, the filled up pit can be cleaned manually even by the householder himself because of the long period of digestion which makes it free of foul smell and safe for handling. In the single pit system, desludging has to be done almost immediately after the pit has been filled to enable its reuse; this involves handling of fresh and undigested excreta which is hazardous for health. If a deeper and larger single pit is provided, desludging operation will be difficult and chances of pollution would be more especially where the ground water table is high.
Fixing of Pan and Trap
Squatting pan of design specified for pour flush and trap with 20mm water seal should be used in Sulabh toilets. The pan can be of ceramic, fibre glass, PVC, mosaic or cement concrete. With fibre glass pan, traps of HDPE are used. With ceramic and PVC pans, traps of the same material are used. For mosaic and cement concrete pans, traps are of cement concrete.
Shape of Two Pits
As far as possible, separate circular pits should be constructed as these are structurally more stable and the sludge is dry and safe to handle. Where separate circular pits of standard sizes can not be constructed due to space constraint, pits of smaller diameter (not less than 750mm) be provided, but the depth should be increased suitably to provide required storage volume and infiltration surface area. If it is not possible to construct small diameter pits, combined oval, square or rectangular pits divided into two equal compartments by a partition wall can be provided. The partition wall should be taken 300mm below the bottom of the pit and be plastered on both sides with cement mortar of 1:6 ratio. The partition wall and pit lining in 300mm width adjoining the partition wall should not have holes. However the possibility of water from one pit finding its way to the other pit is very much there. Therefore the desludging of the filled up pit has to be done with care to avoid health hazards.
Spacing Between Two Pits
The minimum space between the two pits should beone metre or equal to the depth of pits below the level of incoming pipe or drain, whichever is more. Where it is not possible to maintain this space, an impervious barrier like cut off screen or a mud wall may be provided between the two pits.
Lining of Pits
The pits should be lined to avoid collapsing. Lining could be in brick work, stones, laterite bricks, burnt clay or cement concrete rings. Lining could be done with treated bamboos, wooden logs, tar drums depending upon availability etc. 50mm wide holes should be provided in alternate brick courses by laying bricks 50mm apart. Above the invert of incoming pipes or drains, no holes should be provided. Where the soil is sandy, sand envelope is provided or where there are chances of damage by field rats, the width of the holes should be reduced to 12-15mm.
Hygienically and technically appropriate, and socio-culturally acceptable.Affordable and easy to construct with locally available materials.Design and specifications can be modified to suit householder’s needs and affordability.Eliminates mosquito, insect and fly breeding.Can be constructed in different physical, geological and hydrogeological conditions.Free from health hazards and does not pollute surface or ground water, if proper precautions and safeguards are taken during construction.Can be located within the premises as it is free from foul smell and fly/mosquito nuisance etc.Can be constructed on upper floors of houses.Pits are generally designed for 3-year desludging interval, but if desired, it can be designed for longer periods or it can be reduced even to two years.Maintenance is easy, simple and costs very little.Needs only 1.5 to 2 litres of water for flushing, while conventional flush toilet needs 12 to 14 litres of water.Needs less space than a septic tank toilet system.Does not need scavengers for cleaning the pits or disposal of sludge. This can be done by the householder.Makes available rich fertilizer and soil conditioner.Can be easily connected to sewers when introduced in the area.A low volume flushing cistern could be attached to avoid pour flushing.
No Need of Vent Pipe
Sulabh flush compost toilets do not need vent pipes as gases are dispersed into the soil.
Why Two Pits are Better Than One Pit
Single leach pit is appropriate only if they can be desludged mechanically by a vacuum tanker, since its contents are not pathogen-free. In the two-pit system, since one pit is used at a time, the filled up pit can be cleaned manually even by the householder himself because of the long period of digestion which makes it free of foul smell and safe for handling. In the single pit system, desludging has to be done almost immediately after the pit has been filled to enable its reuse; this involves handling of fresh and undigested excreta which is hazardous for health. If a deeper and larger single pit is provided, desludging operation will be difficult and chances of pollution would be more especially where the ground water table is high.
Fixing of Pan and Trap
Squatting pan of design specified for pour flush and trap with 20mm water seal should be used in Sulabh toilets. The pan can be of ceramic, fibre glass, PVC, mosaic or cement concrete. With fibre glass pan, traps of HDPE are used. With ceramic and PVC pans, traps of the same material are used. For mosaic and cement concrete pans, traps are of cement concrete.
Shape of Two Pits
As far as possible, separate circular pits should be constructed as these are structurally more stable and the sludge is dry and safe to handle. Where separate circular pits of standard sizes can not be constructed due to space constraint, pits of smaller diameter (not less than 750mm) be provided, but the depth should be increased suitably to provide required storage volume and infiltration surface area. If it is not possible to construct small diameter pits, combined oval, square or rectangular pits divided into two equal compartments by a partition wall can be provided. The partition wall should be taken 300mm below the bottom of the pit and be plastered on both sides with cement mortar of 1:6 ratio. The partition wall and pit lining in 300mm width adjoining the partition wall should not have holes. However the possibility of water from one pit finding its way to the other pit is very much there. Therefore the desludging of the filled up pit has to be done with care to avoid health hazards.
Spacing Between Two Pits
The minimum space between the two pits should beone metre or equal to the depth of pits below the level of incoming pipe or drain, whichever is more. Where it is not possible to maintain this space, an impervious barrier like cut off screen or a mud wall may be provided between the two pits.
Lining of Pits
The pits should be lined to avoid collapsing. Lining could be in brick work, stones, laterite bricks, burnt clay or cement concrete rings. Lining could be done with treated bamboos, wooden logs, tar drums depending upon availability etc. 50mm wide holes should be provided in alternate brick courses by laying bricks 50mm apart. Above the invert of incoming pipes or drains, no holes should be provided. Where the soil is sandy, sand envelope is provided or where there are chances of damage by field rats, the width of the holes should be reduced to 12-15mm.
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