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access
to
water
and
sanitation
for
all
full of accumulated sludge. Improvements in sanitation prac-
tices such as these have been proposed by The Expert Panel for
the Reduction and Control of Typhoid Fever in Fiji (convened
by the Fiji Ministry of Health in 2012) as a key action to reduce
the high incidence of typhoid outbreaks in the country.
WASH Koro
WASH Koro is a collaborative project, funded by the New
Zealand Aid programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, that aims to provide self-help tools to mobilise
communities to recognise and address their own water
supply, sanitation, and associated health and hygiene needs.
Working in close consultation with two partner villages
along the Coral Coast of Fiji, WASH Koro is also developing
and testing a range of practical low cost solutions for house-
hold wastewater management in the villages. Assessment of
village water supply sites and soil characteristics has helped
determine appropriate wastewater treatment approaches.
Working with villagers, and with assistance from an NGO
(Rustic Pathways) at one of the sites, five septic tank and land
application systems (LAS) for the treatment and disposal of
household wastewater have been constructed to test and
demonstrate their practical implementation and perfor-
mance. Based on gravity-dosed sand-filter trenches, the LAS
have been adapted to the local soil and climatic conditions,
available materials and construction practices. Their primary
aim is to reduce concentrations of organic and faecal micro-
biological contaminants to enable safe and sustainable soil
infiltration and disposal. Monitoring is being undertaken to
verify their effectiveness in real-world conditions.
Improved ventilated twin-pit latrines (EcoVIP2) have also
been developed and constructed in two villages to demon-
strate them as a waterless sanitation alternative to composting
toilets. Leaf mulch, soil and ash is added to stimulate the
activity of worms and insects, and enhance in-situ decompo-
sition. Involvement of villagers in construction and operation
of the demonstration systems has enabled hands-on training,
and provided valuable information on local building methods
and sources of appropriate materials, for example, filter sand.
With input from the Fiji Water and Sewerage Department,
the Ministry of Health and local NGOs, eight new KoroSan
guidelines
1
have been produced covering both water-flushed
and dry toilet options, and participatory approaches for
engaging villages, and building knowledge and capacity.
Key lessons
There are strong interdependencies between village water
supply and sanitation needs – piped household water creates
wastewater flows which require management if health and
environmental problems are to be avoided. Where water
Constructing a sand filtration trench for land application of septic tank effluent in Bavu village, Fiji
Image: C.Tanner, NIWA