Abstract:
Referring to the informal settlements within Bwaise III zone, central Kampala City, pit latrines
are the most common and cost-effective onsite sanitation facilities. However, the lack of
effective technological options pose challenges when latrines get full. Vacuum tankers
currently influence the market but focus on emptying septic tanks in the most accessible areas
only, rather than hard to reach areas where pit latrines and filled manholes reign. Alternative
emptying technologies, such as the Gulper Pump and Diaphragm Pump, have had limited
success in filling the technological gap. Hence, households in informal settlements within
Bwaise essentially rely on manual pit emptying involving shoveling by hand and digging new
pit latrine. These practices correlate with health risks and dreadful space limitations. An
emptying machine must be sustainable, which means it must be able to be fixed locally, and
quickly. This study assessed the redesign, construction, and evaluation of a multi-piston pump
for emptying filled pits. The design adopted was a motorized emptying technology that was
constructed from recycled materials and locally available materials like motorcycle wheels,
scrap metals, rubber, and plastics. Based on the uncovering during testing, the motorized
sewage sucker machine is a prospective pit latrine emptying machine in Bwaise slum.
However, the developed motorized sewage sucker is not yet as optimized as globally available
pit latrine emptying technological options. Hence further alterations are recommended based
on current design constraint.
