Julkaisu 537 Publication 537 Harri Mattila Appropriate Management of On-Site Sanitation Tampere 2005 Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto. Julkaisu 537 Tampere University of Technology. Publication 537 Harri Mattila Appropriate Management of On-Site Sanitation Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Technology to be presented with due permission for public examination and criticism in Festia Building, Auditorium Pieni Sali 1, at Tampere University of Technology, on the 10th of June 2005, at 12 noon. Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto - Tampere University of Technology Tampere 2005 ISBN 952-15-1370-5 (printed) ISBN 952-15-1728-X (PDF) ISSN 1459-2045 Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 3 Supervisor Adjunct Professor, Dr. Tapio S. Katko and Custos: Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology Tampere University of Technology Tampere, Finland Preliminary Professor, Dr. Pertti Seuna assessors: Tuusula, Finland Professor, Dr.-Ing. Ralph Otterpohl Institute of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Management Technical University Hamburg-Harburg Hamburg, Germany Opponents: Professor, Dr. Pertti Seuna Tuusula, Finland Adjunct Professor, Dr. Jan-Olof Drangert Department of Water and Environmental Studies Linköping University Linköping, Sweden Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 4 As Mahatma Gandhi once said: "Sanitation is more important than independence." Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 5 PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation was prepared and defended at Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology (IEEB), Finland. I collected most of the major part of the empirical research and case study material while working in the Lake Pyhäjärvi Protection Project in 1995-2000 and while supervising the B.Sc. theses of some would-be environmental engineers at Häme Polytechnic in 2000-2004. My warm thanks go to all the co-operative people working with, or living around the Lake Pyhäjärvi area and to all my students who have studied on-site sanitation in Häme Polytechnic. The topic of this dissertation was derived from discussions within the CADWES research group at TUT/IEEB, which is doing its best to solve the most complicated water and sanitation matters in the world. I thank the entire group. Our inspiring meetings pushed me onwards and gave me new ideas for solving problems related to this research. I am especially grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Tapio Katko for his continuous and tireless interest in my research and Dr. Jarmo Hukka for his valuable advices. I wish to express my warmest thanks to the following persons who greatly contributed to the completion of the research: * Professor Jaakko Puhakka and Professor Tuula Tuhkanen from TUT/IEEB * The opponents, Dr. Jan-Olof Drangert and Professor Pertti Seuna * The pre-examiners, Professor Ralph Otterpohl and Professor Pertti Seuna * Mr. Pekka Pietilä, Ms. Sirpa Sandelin and Dr. Osmo Seppälä for their support * Ms. Sari Merontausta for making the drawings and Mr. Jorma Tiainen for checking the language * Mr. Markku Raimovaara and all the other colleagues at Häme Polytechnic for their flexibility in sharing the duties during my absence. * Mr. Jami Aho, Ms. Katriina Kujala-Räty, Mr. Erkki Santala and the other ”Hajasampo-researchers” for their co-operation. This research was made possible by number of financiers. Häme Polytechnic (HAMK) and HAMK Foundation, Land and Water Technology Foundation, Association of Finnish Civil Engineers RIL / RIL-Foundation, Academy of Finland, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, K.H. Renlund Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation / Aimo Maasilta Foundation, Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation, Tampere University of Technology (TUT) / Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology (IEEB) and the municipality of Viiala are all deserving my sincere gratitude. I am also indebted to my family Heli, Heini, Hannes and Hasse. They have been long suffering with the busy and sometimes tired and strained husband and father. They have also left the “toilet researcher” in peace when necessary. Hopefully, I can spend more time with them in future. Also my mother in law, Aila deserves my gratitude for helping the family during these busy years. Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents to whom I also dedicate my dissertation. It is always relaxing and encouraging to visit home and to see their positive attitude towards life. Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 6 To my parents, Tampere, 10th of June 2005, Harri Mattila Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 7 Mattila, H. 2005. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation, Tampere University of Technology, Publications 537. 151 p. ABSTRACT The world is facing an enormous sanitation crisis: about 2.6 billion people lack of appropriate sanitation. Together with the lack of clean drinking water, it is causing 10 000 - 30 000 deaths daily. Roughly 6 000 children die every day from diarrhoeal diseases alone. And 88 per cent of those diseases are caused by unsafe water and inappropriate sanitation. In Finland, the lack of proper sanitation is not jeopardizing people’s lives, but it causes deterioration of the environment, especially eutrophication of surface waters and in some cases also pollution of groundwater. There are more than 700 000 residential properties - either summer cottages or year-round houses - outside sewerage networks in the country. The wastewaters of these properties were mainly treated in septic tanks until the end of the 20th century. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the legislation concerning on-site sanitation has changed completely. For it to operate as planned, research on the proper management of on-site sanitation is required. The main objective of this research is to find answers to the questions: How to put the new laws and regulations into practice without major friction? What will the consequences of the new legislation be? What main topics should be researched further to avoid the deterioration of the environment due to wastewaters from sparsely populated areas? After collecting empirical data from different sanitation projects in Finland and a number of international conferences, as well as studying the theory of Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), path dependence theory, stakeholders theories and futures research methods, the author makes comparisons, analyses and reviews of the findings and gives his conclusions and recommendations concerning the research topics. Action research, which aims at interaction between practise and theories, is used as the strategy of the research. The main findings can be condensed into the following conclusions. Finland has enough up-to-date laws and regulations concerning on-site sanitation. The most important thing is that the legislation is interpreted with equal strictness all over the country to uphold respect for it. The quality of all activities taken must be first rate, availability of professional sector people is to be secured and product development - especially in dry toilet technology - must continue. We should apply the methods of futures research more seriously in the water and sanitation sector to ensure that we are moving in the preferred direction. There are also a couple of recommendations for future actions and research topics given. The research implies the question whether the dominating trend toward larger sewer networks and larger centralised wastewater treatment plants in Finland is desirable or should we also study the decentralised alternatives? Should we totally eliminate the concept of non-point source pollution to highlight the individual’s responsibility for the environment? Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 8 Finnish research, experiences and product development of on-site sanitation could help in solving the world’s sanitation crisis if only given enough resources. It would support the country’s own environmental protection, employment and economy as well. Key words: sanitation, on-site sanitation, decentralised sanitation, wastewater treatment, management options, environmental legislation, SCOT, non-point source pollution, water services, DESAR Mattila, H. Appropriate management of on-site sanitation 9 Mattila, H. 2005. Haja-asutusalueiden jätevesihuollon järjestäminen. (Appropriate management of on-site sanitation). Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto, Julkaisu 537. 151 s. (Alkuperäinen englanniksi). TIIVISTELMÄ Maailman sanitaatiokriisi on valtaisa. Noin 2,6 miljardilta ihmiseltä puuttuu kunnollinen jätevesihuolto. Yhdessä puhtaan juomaveden puutteen kanssa tämä aiheuttaa päivittäin 10 000 - 30 000 ihmishengen menetyksen. Yksistään ripulitauteihin kuolee joka päivä noin 6 000 lasta. Ripulitaudeista 88 prosenttia johtuu likaisesta vedestä tai puutteellisesta sanitaatiosta. Suomessa asianmukaisen sanitaation puute ei uhkaa ihmishenkiä mutta heikentää ympäristön tilaa, etenkin vesistöjen rehevöitymistä, mutta joissakin tapauksissa myös pohjaveden pilaantumista. Suomessa on viemärilaitosten ulkopuolella yli 700 000 asuinkiinteistöä – joko kesä- tai vakituisia asuntoja. Pääosaltaan näiden kiinteistöjen jätevedet on käsitelty ainoastaan saostussäiliössä aina vuosituhannen vaihtumiseen saakka. Haja-asutusalueiden jätevesihuoltoa koskeva lainsäädäntö on kokonaisuudessaan muuttunut Suomessa 2000-luvun alusta lähtien. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on löytää vastauksia kysymyksiin: Miten uudet lait ja määräykset laitetaan täytäntöön