Water pollution can affect people’s health. Bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases like typhoid, cholera, encephalitis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis, skin infection, and gastrointestinal diseases can spread through polluted water increasing the probabilities of overloading the capacity of excreta management systems due to diarrhoeal and vomiting cases. This impacts efficiency and capacity (that is increased amount of excreta generated due to health burdens).

In addition, proximity between water tubewells and latrines, soil porosity, ground water table, topography, drainage, and stability of slopes, may result in pollution of wells from surface water, sewage, sludge, solid waste leachates, chemical spills, etc and subsequent sickness or disease.

People who have less power in communities are usually those who are served by the worst infrastructure. Septic tank and cesspit overflows, storm spillages and failure of sewerage networks are more likely to impact the poor and vulnerable greatest.

Soil pollution
Water pollution
Eutrophication
Loss of biodiversity and ecosystems

Soil and water pollution due to faecal sludge spills and leakages from containment facilities.

Containment structures or facilities are one of the most important elements to consider in the excreta management chain because they host the elements that are harmful to humans and the environment in large volumes. Due to the amounts of waste they can contain, the risks of pollution of the surrounding environment and to human and animal health, are significant.

Design and implement effective safety procedures for excreta containment facilities to avoid or clean up any leaks or spills and prevent disease spread from wastewater or sludge

When carrying out desludging containment activities in pits, vaults, or tanks, determine, document, and train people in the safest way to implement that activity for both the people involved in the process and the surrounding environment.

Consult local communities regarding their usual practices regarding the interaction with containment facilities and seek to identify any potential health or environmental risks. Where risks are identified, work with community members to jointly develop safer alternatives that are accepted by the users, and therefore likely to be adhered to, and also prevent possible damage to the environment.

Containment units should be appropriately sized to ensure sufficient capacity for the life span of the latrine. Improperly sized facilities will not have sufficient time for sewage decomposition, which risks overflow and may lead to lack of capacity and early decommissioning. Disposal of faecal sludge without treatment can have significant human and environmental health consequences. There are technologically appropriate alternatives where there are no treatment plants. The end-product of treatment is a source of nutrients, and can usually be reused in agriculture.

In Bangladesh, there has been insufficient capacity to treat sewage and septage, and a lack of capacity to remove and treat sludge from sewage treatment facilities. This has led to much sewage being insufficiently treated and ground water pollution. This is being addressed with the gradual provision of water supply networks.

Percentage of containment facilities that are properly design and managed

Risks regarding containment facilities are reduced for both users and the environment

Prevention of environmental damage

Time and money to design and implement effective safety procedures for excreta containment facilities, to avoid or clean up any leaks or spills.