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Faecal Sludge Management in the Ho Municipality, Ghana

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Faecal Sludge Management in the Ho Municipality, Ghana KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KUMASI, GHANA Faecal Sludge Management in the Ho Municipality, Ghana BY Antoinette Ama Agboado (BSc. Mechanical Engineering) A Thesis submitted to the Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE JUNE, 2015 CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that this thesis is my own work towards the Master of Science (MSc) and that to the best of my knowledge contains no materials previously published by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the University, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Miss Antoinette Ama Agboado …………………… ………………….. (PG 9727213) Signature Date Certified by: Dr. Helen M.K. Essandoh ….…………… … ………………….. (Supervisor) Signature Date Certified By: Prof. Y.A Tuffour …………………… …………………... (Head of Department) Signature Date ii ABSTRACT This study investigated the faecal sludge management practices in five communities (Matse, Ziavi Dzogbe, Hodzo Aviepe, Sokode Gborgame and Ho Township) in the Ho municipality and proposes sustainable solutions for efficient faecal sludge management. Semi-structured interviews, field observations and review of secondary data were used to assess the management practices in these communities. Samples of faecal sludge generated from household and public toilets (septic tanks and VIP) were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters. Majority of the respondents in the study communities were found to depend on public toilets. 8.5% - 15% of the respondents lack basic sanitation facilities and therefore were engaged in open defaecation. Even though there are two faecal sludge disposal sites for the municipality, the sludge is dumped untreated into the environment. Inadequate funding also made faecal sludge management in the municipality inefficient. Results from the laboratory revealed that the mean total solid (TS) concentrations were 75693 ± 34600 mg/L, 26803 ± 14647 mg/L and 39164.5 ± 28831.5 mg/L for public toilet, septic tank and VIP respectively and this is high compared to what is in literature. 30 unplanted drying beds each of size 25 m2 x 30 m2 are proposed for treatment of the sludge and potential nutrients present harnessed for use as fertilizer by farmers. Households, governmental departments, private entrepreneurs, treatment plant operator, traditional leaders, NGOs, farmers and banks were identified as stakeholders needed to sustain the faecal sludge management system, each with specified roles and responsibilities assigned. A financial model which will allow easy flow of fees to be paid within the customer, service provider and public authority interface was proposed to sustain the faecal sludge management system. iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to Makafui and Woelinam iv TABLE OF CONTENT CERTIFICATION ....................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ iii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... ix LIST OF PLATES ....................................................................................................... x LIST OF ACRONYMS .............................................................................................. xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................ xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................ 4 1.3 Objective ....................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Justification ................................................................................................... 5 1.5 Scope ............................................................................................................. 6 1.6 Structure of Report ........................................................................................ 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................... 7 2.1 Definition of Faecal Sludge ........................................................................... 7 2.2 Current Practices and Challenges of faecal Sludge Management ................. 7 2.3 Faecal Sludge Management Planning ......................................................... 12 2.4 Faecal Sludge Management service chain ................................................... 13 2.4.1 Storage.................................................................................................. 13 2.4.2 Methods of Collection and transportation ............................................ 14 2.4.3 Treatment options................................................................................. 19 2.4.4 Selection of Treatment options ............................................................ 25 2.4.5 Enduse/ Disposal .................................................................................. 27 2.5 Characterization of faecal sludge ................................................................ 28 2.6 Quantification of faecal sludge .................................................................... 31 2.7 Existing Faecal Sludge Treatment Schemes in Developing Countries ...... 32 2.8 Efforts towards Environmental Sanitation Development in Ghana ............ 34 CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS ....................................................... 36 3.1 General Background of Study Area ............................................................ 36 3.1.1 Location................................................................................................ 36 v 3.1.2 Climate ................................................................................................. 37 3.1.3 Relief and Drainage.............................................................................. 38 3.1.4 Geology ................................................................................................ 38 3.1.5 Social Characteristics ........................................................................... 38 3.1.6 Water and Sanitation ............................................................................ 39 3.2 Methodology ............................................................................................... 42 3.2.1 Desk Study ........................................................................................... 42 3.2.2 Field Observation ................................................................................. 42 3.2.3 Key informant interview ...................................................................... 43 3.2.4 Household Survey ................................................................................ 43 3.2.5 Sampling Methods ............................................................................... 44 3.2.6 Estimation of faecal sludge quantities.................................................. 44 3.2.7 Selection of treatment option ............................................................... 45 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ......................................................... 46 4.1 Existing Faecal Sludge Management Practices ........................................... 46 4.1.1 Defaecation Practices ........................................................................... 46 4.1.2 Household Toilets Facilities Used in Ho Municipal Area ................... 47 4.1.3 Desludging and Transportation of Faecal Sludge ................................ 49 4.1.4 Treatment/Disposal Practices of faecal sludge .................................... 50 4.1.5 Enabling Environment ......................................................................... 51 4.2 Challenges faced in Faecal Sludge Management in Ho Municipality ........ 52 4.3 Improving Faecal Sludge Management ....................................................... 56 4.3.1 Collection and Transportation of Faecal Sludge .................................. 56 4.3.2 Characteristics of Untreated Faecal Sludge, Ho Municipality ............. 57 4.3.3 Criteria for Selecting the Suitable Faecal Sludge Treatment Options . 60 4.3.4 Estimation of number of drying beds ................................................... 62 4.3.5 Site Selection ........................................................................................ 64 4.4 Identification of Stakeholders in the Faecal Sludge Management .............. 65 4.5 Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders ................................................. 67 4.5.1 Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development ..................... 67 4.5.2 Regional Departments and offices ....................................................... 68 4.5.3 Ho Municipal Assembly ...................................................................... 68 4.5.4 NGOs and Donors ...............................................................................
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