Jan Heeger from Red Cross Netherlands gave a presentation on pit emptying devices in emergency situations during the Faecal Sludge Management Lunch Meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands, on 17 April 2014. This meeting was organised by IRC with support from DGIS.

1. latrine emptying in emergency situations

2. Background
Gap Analysis in Emergency Water, Sanitation
and Hygiene Promotion (HIF 2013)
1. Latrines in locations where no pits are
possible (urban, high watertable/flooding)
2. Latrine emptying and desludging
3. Final sewage disposal options after
desludging and treatment
4. Urban alternatives for excreta disposal

3. The development of latrine emptying kit
(equipment) to be used by humanitarian
organisations in emergency settings or how to
empty latrines if desludge trucks are not
available
Objective of the project:

4. MALAWI TRIALS FOR PIT
EMPTYING/DISLUDGING
•800 liter
sludge tank
•200 liter
clean water
tank
•Gasoline
engine 6,6
kW / 9hp
Honda
•Vacuum
pump
2.500l/min
High
pressure
Installation,
set on 60
bar
•30 meter
3”hose for
increased
access
ROM2
•500 liter
sludge tank
•No clean
water tank
•6 kW diesel
engine, 3-6
km/hr
•Vacuum
pump
2.200l/min.
•30 meter
3”hose for
increased
access
Vacutug
•Atalanta
Pelican 351
Diaphragm
sludge pump
with
•Lombardini
15LD225
diesel engine
•Solids
handling up
to 40 mm
•Dry run
without
damage
•Self priming
to 7.5m
•Mounted on
two-wheel
trolley
Diaphragm
•13 m3 volume
•PVC from
SIOEN
•2 entries
DN80
•2 outlets
DN80
•Air valve type
Schnorkel
•Active carbon
filter
Bladder
•Flow rate
(l/h)
200/850
•Operating
pressure
(bar ) 10-
210
•Weight (kg)
60
•Mounted on
troley
•Several
special
nozzels
Fluidiser

5. Findings
• Rubbish blocks the suction and also discharge
of the Pumps.
• Every single pit latrine required fishing out
rubbish
• On average pits have between 50 – 150 lts
rubbish
• Septic tanks rarely require fishing
• All machines can be operated without
significant spillage

7. Findings
• Emptying thick sludge without fluidising is not
possible.
• Traditional fluidising is pouring a lot of water
in the pit and manual stirring
• With high pressure fluidiser less water
needed (add 15% of sludge)
• Unlined pits can be emptied.

8. Fluidising

9. Findings
• ROM works well with difficult sludge.
(fluidiser included!)
 Small modification will be needed eg opening
to clean sludge reservoir
• Diaphragm sludge pump works well for septic
tanks without rubbish. Is able to pump large
volumes in short time frame.
 Less able to pump thick sludge or sludge that
contains rubbish
• Vacutug similar to the ROM but no fluidiser
included, might be able to operate well in
high density areas
 We experienced many several small
breakdowns

10. Way forward
• Recommendations to suppliers; ROM,
Vacutug, Sioen
• Build up experience and standardise fluidiser
with recomendations on nozzles
• More field tests in different settings (different
sludge)
• Share experiences with the sector