Sustainable sanitation technology options for urban slums
Abstract
Poor sanitation in urban slums results in increased prevalence of diseases and pollution of the environment. Excreta, grey water and solid wastes are the major contributors to the pollution load into the slum environment and pose a risk to public health. The high rates of urbanization and population growth, poor accessibility and lack of legal status in urban slums make it difficult to improve their level of sanitation. New approaches may help to achieve the sanitation target of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7; ensuring environmental sustainability. This paper reviews the characteristics of waste streams and the potential treatment processes and technologies that can be adopted and applied in urban slums in a sustainable way. Resource recovery oriented technologies minimise health risks and negative environmental impacts. In particular, there has been increasing recognition of the potential of anaerobic co-digestion for treatment of excreta and organic solid waste for energy recovery as an alternative to composting. Soil and sand filters have also been found suitable for removal of organic matter, pathogens, nutrients and micro-pollutants from grey water.
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Overcrowding and high population density result in high user demand for water and sanitation services that often far outstrips supply, with resultant stress to water sources and distribution networks often leading to poor functionality and non-continuity of services.
“Overcrowding and high population density result in a high user demand for water and sanitation services that often far outstrips supply 33,34 , with the resultant stress to water sources and distribution networks often leading to their poor functionality and non-continuity of services. 35”
From Urban informal settlements as hotspots of antimicrobial resistance and the need to curb environmental transmission. (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
Existing water and sanitation services in urban informal settlements rarely meet current user demand and are often poorly maintained due to high costs, political disinterest, and lack of willpower from landlords.
“Existing services in these settings rarely meet current user demand and are often poorly maintained due to high costs, political disinterest, and lack of willpower from landlords 34 .”
From Urban informal settlements as hotspots of antimicrobial resistance and the need to curb environmental transmission. (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
In urban informal settlements, the reluctance of government officials and landlords to evaluate or implement water and sanitation infrastructure is a major impediment to leveraging these services for reducing environmental transmission of AMR.
“In urban informal settlements, the reluctance of government officials and landlords to evaluate or implement water and sanitation infrastructure is a major impediment to leveraging these services for reducing environmental transmission of AMR 34 .”
From Urban informal settlements as hotspots of antimicrobial resistance and the need to curb environmental transmission. (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
There are significant challenges to improving water and sanitation infrastructure in urban informal settlements.
“There are undoubtedly significant challenges to improving water and sanitation infrastructure in urban informal settlements 34,75 .”
From Urban informal settlements as hotspots of antimicrobial resistance and the need to curb environmental transmission. (2020) · cites this paper as [34]
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Nadimpalli, M. L., Marks, S. J., Montealegre, M. C., Gilman, R. H., Pajuelo, M. J., Saito, M., Tsukayama, P., Njenga, S. M., Kiiru, J., Swarthout, J., et al. (2020) · Nature microbiology · doi:10.1038/s41564-020-0722-0 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
Grey water characterisation and pollutant loads in an urban slum
Katukiza, A. Y., Ronteltap, M., Niwagaba, C. B., Kansiime, F., & Lens, P. N. L. (2015) · International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · doi:10.1007/s13762-013-0451-5 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
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Performance of pit latrines in urban poor areas: A case of Kampala, Uganda
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Self-citationMariwah, S. (2018) · GeoJournal · doi:10.1007/s10708-016-9765-4 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Katukiza, A. Y., Ronteltap, M., Niwagaba, C. B., Foppen, J. W. A., Kansiime, F., & Lens, P. N. L.
- Affiliations
- IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (NL)
- Makerere University (UG)
- Corresponding author
- Katukiza, A.Y.
- Venue
- Biotechnology Advances
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-09
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 964-978
- ISSN
- 0734-9750 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1987628591
- Cited by
- 204
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 1.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biotechnology Advances (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
- Keywords
- urban slums, sanitation technology, greywater treatment, solid waste management, co-digestion, resource recovery, composting alternatives, energy recovery, environmental sustainability, Millennium Development Goal 7, micropollutants
- MeSH terms
- Cities, Conservation of Natural Resources, Poverty Areas, Sanitation, Waste Disposal, Fluid, Water Purification
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