Sewage Sucker Relieves Slumdogs from Manually Emptying Pit Latrines
People living in slums the world over are dependent on pit latrines as their only recourse for a bathroom. And when those pits get full, they’re usually emptied by hand, with a bucket, and the feces is often deposited in the nearest body of water, spreading disease and contamination even further. But a machine made partly from recycled car parts, the Vacutug, may help stop that process.
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“We who take flushing for granted have no idea how gross and potentially lethal it is to rely on pit latrines. When they’re shared by so many, and when their contents enter water sources, aquatic ecosystems suffer and diseases run rampant. Think cholera. Think typhus.” - from Scavenging
The Vacutug is a pit-latrine “exhauster” designed to provide a simple and inexpensive method for emptying pit-latrines in areas where access by other, truck-based, exhausters is impossible. It’s quite simple, consisting of a pump and tug assembly and a vacuum tank.
The tug assembly of the Vacutug has a small frame-mounted gas engine, controlled by a person walking with it, which can travel at speeds of up to 5 km/h (about 3 mph). The tank can hold 500 liters (about 130 gallons), and a 3 inch diameter PVC hose connected to the vacuum pump can handle an air flow of 1700 liters a minute (about 449 gallons). Reversing the pump will pressurize the tank to assist emptying the load.
“The design specification of the Vacutug is based on the hypothesis that, typically, an individual will produce between 40-50 liters of sludge per annum. Thus where dry pits are used with good ground conditions, where there is no ingress of ground water, a 500 liter tank load should provide a latrine service for a family of 10 people for one year.” - UN-HABITAT
Developed for use in Kenya in 1995, the Vacutug “is capable of accessing some of the most densely populated urban areas, with narrow and bumpy lanes, where conventional systems are unable to penetrate.” The machine is controlled with a motorcycle throttle and braking system, and rolls on scavenged automobile wheels.
The Vacutug could also generate income while providing a much-needed service. The machine was operated on a commercial basis in Kenya, and during the trial period earned a total profit of 36%. Kenya Water and Health Organization estimates that over 400,000 people benefited directly from the use of the Vacutug in Kibera, the largest slum in East Africa with a population in excess of 700,000.
“Scavenged goods help save the world yet again.” - Scavenging
[Via Scavenging] Images: ©UN-HABITAT
I have to admit, I had never really thought about pit latrines being emptied and where the waste might be placed that would so endanger the population. Such a ghastly job; good to see an improvement for the people doing it. I am left wondering though, if there might still be a problem of where to unload the contents. Not a pretty topic, but necessary to find the right answers. I guess I’ll have to contact the organizations I currently support and ask.
nice innovation and pretty useful. I work in the humanitarian sector and i have realized in most instances sanitation programs are jeopardized by rapidly filling latrines and lack of further funding to replace these. I also notice due to different cultural diversity some of the communities dont at wish to re use the slabs even after organizations paying for new pits. I guess yr innovation is quite good for these scenarios and is viable and probably cost effective. However, is there a way to treat the effluent so that you can dump in without causing any environmental disaster eg polluting groundwater? What is the cost of this equipment anyway and can it be made locally by local mechanis?