UNIT DETAILS

1 1.Introduction to Environment and Health Aspects

History of sanitation with respect to human civilization,
importance of health, hygiene cleanliness, waterborne,
water-related, water based, epidemic diseases,
conservancy to water carriage system , urban and rural
sanitation.
Introduction to Environment and Health Aspect

•Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water

and adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage.
•It makes the environment neat, clean and helps the people prevent
different diseases and be safe from harmful components.
•Sanitation is used to define a package of related measures. It is also defined
as the means of collecting and disposing of excreta and community
liquid wastes in a way so as not to endanger the health of individual and the
community as a whole.
•The concept of sanitation was earlier limited to disposal of human excreta by
cesspools, open ditches, pit latrines, bucket systems etc. today it denotes a
comprehensive concept of not only the methods of disposal of human waste
but also of liquid and solid waste including matter originating from food and
hygiene.
 Why is the historical view
important?

Examples from History:

Three examples from early history (Mesopotamia/Middle East) via the Romans to
Britain in the industrial revolution show the evolution of sanitation.

Mesopotamia:

• Historical records show that the Mesopotamian Empire (3500 – 2500 B.C.) was the
first civilisation to formal address sanitation problems arising from community
living.
• There were no street drains of the kind were found in contemporary Mohenjo-daro.
•Drains and clay pipes were instead found in the inner courtyards of the Ur houses
and it is thought that house roofs sloped inwards and rainwater was channelled via
the drainpipes into sumps* in the inner courtyards.
▪ There is evidence of very sophisticated drainage systems in the cities of the Indus
Civilisation.
▪ The drainage systems were so big that a human would have been able to walk
through the middle of one.
▪ This was really helpful because if the drain was blocked, the drain could be easily
accessed.

Fig: One of the first known toilets that was flushed with water is at the
palace at Knossos on the island of Crete
Romans

• The Romans were brilliant managers and engineers and their systems rivalled
modern technology.
•Rome’s water system is one of the marvels of the ancient world. Much is known and
has been written about Rome’s water supply, much less however about their sanitation
achievements.
• Although sewer and water pipes were not inventions of the Romans, since they were
already present in other civilisations, they were certainly perfected by the Romans.
•They resumed engineering works from others; they turned these concepts into major
infrastructure to serve all the citizens.
• As inventors of the first integrated water system from collection to disposal,
providing dual networks to collect spring water and dispose of storm and wastewater.
•They recycled wastewater from the spas, using it to flush latrines before discharging
the waste into sewers and then into the river.
The Britains:

• With the high rate of industrialisation and urbanisation throughout the

eighteenth century, preceding and accompanying the industrial revolution, came
the realization of the importance of water and wastewater disposal.
• Britain was one of the first countries to begin experimentation with organized
action to improve environmental conditions of cities.
•The principal employed was to assume “The Solution of Pollution is Dilution”.
•The construction of the Bazalgette sewer system in London, started in 1858 and
completed in 1965, is an example of this principle.
•Through a series of collection sewers and pumping stations, wastewater was
conveyed from the streets and discharged to the Thames.
• There was no understanding of assimilative capacity in the river and no
understanding of the need to remove pollutants prior to discharging in the river..
•The Thames was already polluted in the 14th century, but in 1859, it became the
protagonist of crises in London that would be passed into history as the “Great
Stench” caused by at least two events: the “Industrial Revolution” and the closing of
London's cesspools following the introduction of the flush toilet.
• Victorians called the Thames a “monster soup”.
Fig: Map of the London sewage system developed by Joseph Bazalgette 1858-1870
SCOPE/OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE/IMPORTANCE/USES OF SANITATION

1. Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through preventive of human

contact with the hazard of wastes as well as the treatment and proper disposal of
sewage wastewater.
2. It makes the environment neat, clean and helps the people to prevent different diseases
and be safe from harmful components.
3. Proper disposal of human and animal wastes (solid as well as liquid wastes). It also
includes disposal of hazardous wastes from hospitals/industries/other sources
4. Use and proper maintenance of toilets
5. Avoiding of open defecation
6. Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas
7. Generate a push from the people to get facilities rather than except the government do
it.
8. Focus on intensive education and awareness campaigns to ensure that people
understand the need for safe sanitation
9. Promote cost effective and appropriate technologies
10. Take the scheme beyond rural household to rural schools and nursery
11. Through all the above improve the health and quality of life in rural area.
Water-Related Disease

• Water-related diseases are estimated to claim 3-7 million lives each year.
•This includes water-borne, water-washed, water contact diseases, as well as water
(insect) vector diseases - i.e. those associated with water habitat (e.g. malaria,
dengue)
Conservancy system:

• This is old system in which various types of wastes, such as night soil, garbage etc
are collected separately in a vessels or deposited in a pools or pits and then
removed periodically at least once in 24 hours.
• The conservancy system is highly unhygienic and causes insanitary condition.
• Transportation of night soil takes place in open carts through street and other
crowded localities, this is highly undesirable.
• The working of the system entirely depend on the mercy of labour if they go on
strike at least one day foul matter start creating smell which highly unhygienic.
• In present day world, when men has progressed much it is highly humiliating to
ask human being to transport night soil in pails on their head.
a. Advantages of Conservancy System of Sanitation

Some of the advantages of the conservancy system are:

a. Its initial cost is very low.
b. No need for water for flushing purposes.
c. No need for sewer pipes as in the water carriage system.
d. Sewage quantity reaching the treatment plant before disposal is low.

b. Disadvantages of Conservancy System of Sanitation

Some of the disadvantages of the conservancy system are:

a. For the burying of the residue ( remained part after burning of combustible
portions) or excremental matter; a large area is required.
b. Labours are needed daily for the collection of waste.
c. Decomposition of excreta takes place before its removal. This causes a
nuisance of smell.
d. It is not suitable for most of the buildings.
e. It is unhygienic and causes unsanitary conditions.
f. Liquid wastes from laboratories may percolate into the ground causing the
pollution of the groundwater table.
Water carriage system:

• In this system, collection and conveyance and disposal of various wastes re carried
out with the help of water.
• Thus water is used as a medium to convey the waste from its point of production to
point of final disposal.
• Sufficient quantity of water is required to be mixed with waste so that dilution ratio
is so great that the mixture may flow just like water. • This system is very hygienic as
night soil and other waste carried out through closed conduit which is not directly
exposed to atmosphere.
• There is no chance of outbreak of epidemic because files & other insect do not have
direct access to the sewage.
• The labour required for the operation and maintenance is extremely small.
• Initial cost of installation of this system is very high, the running cost are very
small.
ASSIGNMENT 2
⚫ Cost effective technique to improve sanitation
facilities in rural areas with sketches

⚫ Write a short note on rural & urban sanitation with

sketches
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