Development of a motorized sewage sucker machine for emptying filled manholes

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 poses 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 relies 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 design, construction, and evaluation of a multi-piston pump for emptying filled pits. The design adopted was a motorized emptying technology that can be 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