Sanitation

Sanitation is about maintaining public health. It is closely related to the provision of clean drinking water but is also about dealing with waste, particularly sewage. Adequate sanitation provision is vital to keeping people healthy and, with more people living closer together, is increasingly important in human development.

The buildup of human waste (sewage) can cause disease and preventable fatalities. It needs to be treated and managed to prevent it building up and causing unsanitary living conditions. The infrastructure required to manage sewage can be referred to as sanitation infrastructure. Sanitation infrastructure options can either treat urine and faeces separately or treat the two waste products together, often with wastewater from other facilities such as showers, sinks and washing machines. Treatment can take place at the household level, for example by using a septic tank, or via collection from multiple locations for centralised treatment, as happens in most parts of the UK. Treatment technologies use various methods ranging from mechanised and chemical systems to using natural biological processes. Waste produced during menstruation also needs to be treated.

The ageing infrastructure in Makers Valley is already struggling to cope. Localised flooding and contamination of the Jukskei river are already issues. With an increasing population and increasing intensity of heavy storms the situation is likely to worsen. Can you propose ideas to improve the situation?

5. Inadequate toilets

In Makers Valley a single household toilet may be utilised by up to 20 people. Can you think of a solution to provide more adequate sanitation facilities across the area?

6. Treating human waste

The disposal and treatment of human waste across the area is a health risk to the residents of Makers Valley and is damaging the local environment. Can you propose a solution that would improve the management of human waste?

7. Leaking sewers

Ageing sanitation infrastructure is causing contamination of the Jukskei River. Can you proposed ideas to reduce the instance of sewers leaking or create improvements for another sanitation related issue?

8. Floods and sewage

Flooding due to intense storms in an issue for people living in Makers Valley and due to the aged infrastructure results in waste and sewage being moved around during periods of flooding. Can you propose solutions to prevent/lower the risk of flooding or to reduce the impact of the surface water when flooding occurs?

20. Automated disease surveillance service [*3]

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and chikungunya and other vector-borne diseases such as bilharzia are present in South Africa. Can you design a system that alerts people, when there is a risk of contracting a disease (when, where and which disease)?

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