Disposal of Latrine Waste: is Biogas Technology the Answer?

By Daniel Buxton Loughborough University

Contents

Disposal issues and solutions Biogas

Benefits and Uses Possible Digesters

Assessing the technology

Past successes Technological Social and Cultural issues Economic Argument Regulation and Management

Conclusions

Disposal Issues FSM cycle

Disposal Options
Onsite Burial Discharge into:

Sewer Centralised Treatment Works

Composting

Biogas

Biogas Benefits and Uses

Benefits
Reduces the amount of wood fuel required Produces fertilizer Decreases pathogen content

Uses
Cooking, lighting and heating etc

Application Lighting Cooking Fuel Replacement Shaft Power Electricity generation

1 cubic metre biogas equivalent Equal to 60 100 watt bulb for 6 hours Can cook 3 meals for a family of 5 6 0.7kg of petrol Can run a one horse power motor for 2 hours Can generate 1.25 kilowatt hours of electricity

Biogas Possible digesters

Mixing tank Gas outlet pipe Plinth level Slurry Discharge Hole Displacement Chamber Outlet tank cover Outlet Tank

Inlet Pipe

Initial slurry level Gas storage Area Digester Foundation

Outlet gate

Assessing the Technology Past Successes

Insitu household biogas system Asia, Latin America and Southern Africa Institutional in schools, prisons, hospitals etc Ethiopia, India Community/parish level (peri-urban) Rwanda

Assessing the Technology Technological

Benefits of community biogas systems

Economies of Scale Surplus gas for income generating activities More efficient operation as the plant usually has a full time operator Equity consideration, people can work in return for gas

Barriers - What happens in the pit

Accumulation Aerobic Degradation Anaerobic Degradation Physical mass transfer Leaching/draining Digestion of macro-invertebrates The sludge will be partially degraded upon emptying, decreasing methane yield

Assessing the Technology Social and Cultural Issues

Negative attitudes towards change Religious issues Health issues Lack of real demand

Assessing the Technology Economic Argument

High initial cost Increase in frequency of emptying Scheme should be marketed as win-win

Assessing the Technology Regulation and Management

Necessary knowledge and skills must be available at a local level Policies must be effective and needs responsive frameworks to identify waste as a resource not a burden Implementation starts at household level community involvement Government policies should enable not prescribe

Conclusions

Cultural and institutional issues often deciding factor However, choice of technology and implementation method have social, economic and policy implications so engineers looking to pilot such a scheme must be aware of all these factors effecting success

Any Questions????