De Déchets à Ressources (DAR)

From waste to resource – Research on faecal sludge drying beds and faecal sludge enduse in Dakar, Senegal

Context:

Onsite sanitation systems are used by 65-100% of residents in urban areas of low-income countries, and can provide a sustainable option for achieving complete sanitation coverage over the coming decades. However, managing the faecal sludge from these systems is a critical link in the service chain. In Senegal, to reach the millennium development goals in 2015 for sanitation, targets are to achieve 92 000 connections to sewerage systems and an additional 453 000 onsite systems in both rural and urban areas. Achieving this goal will also greatly increase the volume of sludge that needs to be managed. To ensure these goals are sustainably implemented, plans for sludge enduse or disposal must be undertaken long before the systems become operational.

Objectives:

The focus of this project lies on finding alternative solutions for the enduse of faecal sludge. Strategies investigated include the use of sludge as a fuel in industry, and as a medium to grow fodder plants. Creating added value during treatment processes are expected to help reduce the cost of emptying, transport, and treatment, providing a financial driver to help ensure that the entire faecal sludge service chain is functioning.