Abstract:
Even though the majority of Pakistan is being served by an onsite sanitation system, the fecal
sludge management service chain is entirely nonexistent. According to the United Nations, to
achieve universal access to safe sanitation by 2030, the rate of current progress needs to be
quadrupled. Despite the importance of this pressing issue, there is a lack of extensive research
regarding FSM in Pakistan. There are significant knowledge gaps regarding the effectiveness of
the emptying service and its integration into the urban sanitation system.
So, our Project aimed to reduce the research gap regarding onsite sanitation systems and the
fate of FS generated. We developed a first-ever fecal sludge management chain that can be
introduced in Pakistan. We aimed to provide an integrated and holistic service chain that
covered the collection, emptying, transport, and treatment of fecal sludge. The selected site for
the introduction of FSM was Bahria Enclave as it was near and easily accessible. Current FSM
practices of the area were studied in detail by conducting household surveys and the crucial
information retrieved was used for the development of a fecal sludge management model. The
major goal of the project was to prove that FSM can be turned into a profitable business so that
apart from the government, even the private sector can invest in it considering it a business
opportunity. Also, currently, there is not a single working fecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) in
Pakistan for treating FS generated. So, a detailed literature review was also conducted of
already existing treatment technologies and working FSTPs to decide which technology would
be the most suitable to be introduced in a developing country like Pakistan. DEWATS was
proven to be the most fitting technology to treat the liquid fraction of FS in Pakistan. After the
finalization of technology, a full-scale design of FSTP was also provided.
