What happens when the pit is full? : Developments in on-site faecal sludge management (FSM) : report of FSM Seminar 14-15 March 2011, Durban, South Africa

South Africa has recently held what has been called the “Toilet Election”. Amidst a welter of recriminations, debates about 'open toilets' have reaffirmed the elemental importance of sanitation and the unbreakable link between human dignity and adequate sanitation. What comes next remains to be seen, but surely it cannot exclude a renewed focus in South Africa, and perhaps in the region, on this most basic of human rights. Although sanitation is one of the Millennium Development Goals, many regions are performing poorly in attaining their declared sanitation targets, including Sub-Saharan Africa. Whilst much of the focus is, understandably, on the provision of new toilets, the maintenance of those toilets already built cannot be forgotten. Take South Africa as an example, where there are around 2 to 3 million 'VIP' latrines. While the government there has recognised that maintaining its commitment to sanitation as a basic human right means continuing to keep existing toilets operational (as well as providing new ones) it has left it to local government structures to work out how this should be done. Most municipalities do not as yet have policies, budgets or procedures for the maintenance of on-site sanitation. A rough estimate suggests that in the rest of SADC there are perhaps another 5 million 'urban' latrines, many of which will also need emptying within five years or less of construction. [authors abstract]