In this section, we get to the bottom of latrine technology!
If you think every latrine in Africa is a hole in the ground, with a cement slab to put your feet on, and some sort of corrugated-iron or brick structure to give you some privacy – think again! Here we give you a quick guide to the six options that are considered by communities about to embark on a loo-building project.
-
The commonly-selected“single pit sealed lid” option provides communities with a squat hole and an all-important lid, that hides bad smells and stops flies from entering the latrine.
-
The “single pit ventilated” involves the installation of a vertical ventilation pipe to take away bad smells. Don’t forget to cover your pipe with mesh, and keep your latrine dark – or you’ll get flies.
-
The “Twin pit ventilated” – as you’d suspect – is very similar to the “single pit ventilated” but you dig two pits (the clue’s in the “twin” bit of the name), and when one pit is full, it’s sealed and the other squat hole is opened. After a year, the full pit can be safely emptied and the contents used as manure.
Ventilation is all well and good - but if you want to get in on some flushing action - you’re going to want one of these latrines instead…
-
The “Pour flush single pit direct” replaces the squatting slab with a waterseal pan, and each time the latrine is used, water is poured into the pan to flush it.
- The “Pour flush single pit offset” isn’t the most succinct name you’ll come across – but that’s because it’s got it all going on. Here, you get a waterseal pan, a pipe, a single pit, and a shelter built a small distance away – ie. “offset”. More water is needed to flush because the poo has further to travel to the pit, but the advantage is that the latrine can be located in a house and the pit is outside for emptying.
- The “Pour flush twin pit offset” does the same thing, but with two pits.
If you want to start exploring ecological options, you’ll very quickly enter the world of composting latrines and something called a urine-diversion latrine. Surely the time has come to call in expert reinforcements?! If you want more info on loos, check out the Tearfund International Learning Zone (TILZ).
