Review of Alternative Sanitation Systems 

Most sanitation systems were originally developed for the sole purpose of improving public health conditions. The systems were designed to dispose of human excreta, commonly thought of as waste, with an "out of sight, out of mind" type of thinking. Wealthier countries have installed water-based systems requiring extensive infrastructure and less economically advanced countries either did without sanitation or dug deep pits to bury excreta. 

Today, 2.4 billion people lack sanitation entirely (nosan). Another 2.7 billion people have some type of pit latrine (pitsan) and about 1 billion people have conventional water-based sanitation (flushsan). 

Neither approach to sanitation is sustainable, nor is there one type of system that can fulfil global sanitation needs. Few countries are able to afford the investment required for water-borne systems and these systems are environmentally abusive using an excessive amount of water. Also, maintaining these systems is becoming as expensive as the initial capital investments. No sanitation is also an unsatisfactory alternative for obvious reasons of disease and poor hygiene. 

As such, the EcoSanRes Programme, in collaboration with Verna Ekologi AB, has embarked on a review of alternative sanitation systems with the objective of producing comprehensive comparative information about environmental and health functions, economic, social and cultural aspects and local adaptation and flexibility. The study aims to demonstrate the impacts of different sanitation systems based on a varied set of comparable function criteria. The findings will serve as a valuable source of information for ecosan advocacy and awareness among practitioners and policy and decision makers. 

The review of alternative sanitation systems will initially compare systems in China, India, South Africa, Uganda, Mexico and Sweden. In each country, a consultant will collect information about four to six different sanitation systems that are locally available and complete a comparison matrix. The chosen sanitation systems should include waterborne, dry, centralized, on-plot and ecological approaches. The comparison matrix includes environmental, economic and health impacts, reduction efficiencies (nutrients, pathogens, hormones, organic substances and heavy metals), convenience and comfort, and operation and maintenance.