Urban sanitation and effluent management

Institutions and governments at times downplay the importance of urban sanitation for the betterment of people. Poor sanitation is frequently the mother of a myriad of problems including disease outbreaks, lack of water and ultimately creates a miserable environment for people. The issue of sanitation is an urgent matter especially seeing how the urban population is growing, most notably in the developing world. In fact, in the next thirty years, it is estimated that 2.5 billion people will have migrated into the world’s urban areas, a majority of them in Africa and Asia. According to United Nations (UN) sources, approximately 100 million people in East Africa lack access to sanitary facilities. Thus, the more the problem is ignored, and tackled inefficiently, the more it will expand until resolving it will become close to impossible.

Before delving into the magnitude of urban sanitation and effluent, one must understand what these phrases entail.  Urban sanitation is a form of sanitation that is affiliated with maintaining sanitary condition in urban settings. Sanitation, according to the World Health Organization refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions through different services such as wastewater disposal, garbage collection and others. However, contrary to what many might believe, it is not simply the collection and disposal of human waste; it is a multifaceted issue that needs complex systems of organization to be properly executed. Effluent involves wastewater, in other words waste discharge into surface waters from factories, sewers, and the like.

In Kenya, urban communities pay little attention to sanitation and as a result, one finds many of its urban streets littered with garbage, human waste and filthy waters from gutters. In fact, a walk through Nairobi City is eye opening, with trash decorating the streets, smells of human waste in every alley. Little attention is paid to urban sanitation and there is a general loose enforcement of sanitary regulation. More needs to be done, as space for sanitation development is getting scarce.

In a 2011 report by World Health Organization/UNICEF, Kenya ranks 12^th among the top countries without sanitation, with a whooping 27 million people without access to proper sanitation. WSUP (water and sanitation for the urban poor), estimates that about 12.5 million Kenyans live in urban areas and this population is expected to double in a decade or so. In addition, that, in Nairobi alone, 60% of its 4 million residents live in informal densely populated settlements, and about 24% of them have access to household toilet facilities, while 68% rely on shared facilities and another 6% have no access to toilet facilities. As a result, one often finds that those without access to these facilities resort to ‘flying toilets,’ which is basically, tying their waste in plastic bags or paper bags and flinging it out their window. Not to mention that those who are in charge of emptying latrines and slush are improperly protected from the unsanitary conditions.  There is no need to expound on how much of a serious health hazard that is.

To shed a light on how detrimental the sanitation in Kenya is, only 19% of its urban population is connected to a sewer. Moreover, one would expect the few who get this accessibility get great service, but no, treatment facilities at the end of the sewer lines only operate at 20% efficiency.

One often finds that improper waste disposal systems, water sanitation and disease outbreaks go hand in hand. Cholera, typhoid and many more are all realities for urban communities without proper sanitation facilities. For example, the Kariobangi Estate has on more than one occasion experienced effluence leakage from damaged sewer lines and is plagued by water issues as well as garbage problems. The Kariobangi slum is representative of a majority of areas in Kenya where rapid urbanization combined with no water and sanitation services is a common trend.

Water is life and should be a right for all people but this is not the reality, most especially for places with no supply of clean water. Access to clean water is cut off by sewage, effluent from factories, household, or farms that flows into rivers, reservoirs and taints the local water supply. It is estimated that piped water covers only 38.4 percent of the urban population, a worrying figure. More than half of the urban population in Kenya relies on water vendors, kiosks, or unclean sources of water, which puts them at risk of water borne diseases. In actuality, water from vendors or kiosks is sometimes acquired and handled without care to hygiene.  However, with no reliable sources of water supply, most households have no alternatives.

Not only does poor sanitation cost Kenya billions of shillings every year, it also costs the country thousands of lives. In Kenya, health problems that occur when water is mixed with industrial and sewage effluent are common, from diarrhoea to malnutrition, killing many, especially children. Statistics show that diarrhoea kills one in five children before their fifth birthday. More lives will continue to be lost if the government and other organizations do not come together to deal with this brewing storm.

There is a positive relationship between improved sanitation and increased health. Countries with improved facilities like septic tanks or pit latrines; piped sewer systems; composting toilets and such tend to have citizens with better health. In Andorra for example, access to sanitation and water is nearly universal and this is reflected in their health conditions. Andorra is constantly listed as one of the world’s healthiest countries with a life expectancy that averages 83.5 years and 85 years for women and about 81 years for men; this can be partly attributed to its sanitation conditions. In Andorra, according to WHO/UNICEF, 93.4 percent of the population is served with piped water, while protected wells, springs, and such serve 6.6 percent. In other words, 100% of the people in Andorra have proper water supply.

The significance of successfully implementing proper methods of urban sanitation and effluent management cannot be overstressed. An effective sanitation service deals not just with providing safe water to its people but also with garbage collection and most importantly creates environmentally conscious citizens. To ensure a continuous supply of safe water, ample and functioning pumps, reservoirs, and such sources for treatment and distribution should be readily available. In addition, isolating wells in order to prevent contamination, ensuring secure water supplies, and developing pipes for water delivery are all rights for residents.

It is not all negative though as Kenya has taken steps in establishing organized water and sewage systems. Moreover, newly adopted Kenya Constitution underlines that sanitation is a human right, prioritizing the matter. Other institutions like the Kenya Water sector have attempted to address the problem of inadequate supply of water by expanding to low income areas. Furthermore, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation through the Water Services Trust Fund (WSTF) drew up a national sanitation plan for the country for up-scaling public sanitation. Kenya has made a lot of progress in terms of sanitation and water issue due to the different organizations set up to tackle these issues including, Water and Irrigation (MWI), Water Regulatory Services Board (WSRB), Seven Water Services Boards (WSBs), the ‘Clean-Up Nairobi’ Campaign, Mathare Youth Sports Association and many more.

There are a variety of problems that are handicapping efforts to upscale urban sanitation and water management, including politics, corruption, and lack of funding. If these obstacles are overcome, progress will follow.