1. Who can use this tech menu?
Click here for answer (Link for target users)
2. What do you mean by Onsite Treatment or Onsite SanitationSystem?
A facility (it may include user interface as well) that, in absence of sewerage network, collects and fully/partially treats the black water to allow for safe reuse or disposal of generated effluent. The solids may get collected in the system with time and would need frequent desludging and treatment.
3. What do you mean by Decentralised Treatment or DWWTs
A facility where domestic wastewater (both black and grey water) is treated close to the source at community or institutional scale to allow for safe local reuse or disposal of generated effluent.
4. What do you mean by Faecal Sludge Treatment or FSTP?
A facility where the septage and/or faecal sludge is received (by vacuum trucks or otherwise) as an input and gets fully treated to allow for safe reuse or disposal of generated output (both solid and liquid). Faecal sludge can also be treated along with sewage at a sewage treatment plant (STP) or with solid waste at a waste processing unit.
5. What do you mean by In-situ Treatment?
A facility where interventions are done at the receiving waterbody (like lakes, ponds and rivers) and/or open drains/nullahs itself for rejuvenation of the receiving water bodies.
6. What is sewage?
Sewage is untreated wastewater which contains faeces and urine, this wastewater generally gets conveyed through the sewerage system. Grey water from the kitchen and bathroom also becomes part of sewage.
7. What is septage?
Septage or septic tank waste refers to the partially treated matter stored in and pumped out of a septic tank. In other words, faecal sludge from septic tanks is known as septage.
8. What is faecal sludge?
It is the solid or settled contents of pit latrines and septic tanks. It is raw or partially digested, slurry or in a semisolid form, it results from the collection, storage or treatment of combinations of excreta and black water, with or without grey water.
9. Where can I get septage tested?
As this query is location specific, you can contact us at:
10. Is there any faecal sludge and septage management policy on national level?
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs issued the National Policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) in early2017. The policy aims to facilitate nationwide implementation of FSSM services in all ULBsand to set the context, priorities, and direction for safe and sustainable sanitation in eachand every household in India.8 Some key features of the policy are as follows:
• State-level guidelines, framework, objectives, timelines and implementation plans toaddress septage management
• Formulating strategy at the Central level to initiate capacity-building for training on FSSM.
• Creating a sanitation benchmark framework which can be used by ULBs to develop adatabase and registry of certified onsite sanitation system, and a robust reporting format
• Funding for facilitation of FSSM projects and encouragement to increase public privatepartnerships (PPP).
• Achieving integrated citywide sanitation along with safe disposal
• Revised service-level benchmarking for sanitation
https://amrut.gov.in/writereaddata/FSSM_Policy_Report_23Feb.pdf
11. Is there any standardsfor designing a septic tank? If yes, where can I find it?
Yes, the Bureau of Indian standards provides standards for septic tanks. Can be found in Manual on Sewerage and Sewage Treatment—Part A: Engineering. CPHEEO, 2012
12. What are the most suitable technologies for Faecal Sludge treatment?
Work is still in progress where we are trying to address these questions and make the situation finer in nature
13. Where can I find operating standards for reuse and recycling of treated wastewater?
Yes, the Bureau of Indian standards provides standards for reuse of treated wastewater. Can be found in Manual on Sewerage and Sewage Treatment—Part A: Engineering. CPHEEO, 2012
14. Is there a difference between co-composting and co-treatment?
Co-treatment means treating the two waste streams together, in this context when faecal sludge is treated along with sewage at a sewage treatment plant or when faecal sludge is treated along with solid waste at a waste processing unit. Whereas co-composting is when pre-treated faecal sludge is composted along with segregated municipal solid waste in appropriate ratio to improve the treatment efficiency and the quality of the end product.
15. Can I produce manure by mixing organic waste with treated faecal sludge /septage.
Yes, when one does co-composting of faecal sludge with segregated organic waste by mixing it in proper ratio, the end product is a good soil conditioner. As on one hand faecal sludge has good moisture and nitrogen content and on the other hand organic solid waste is high in carbon content. For more details visit http://ecompendium.sswm.info/sanitation-technologies/co-composting
16. How to decide whether an STP can co-treat septage?
The STP can co-treat faecal sludge only if it has spare capacity and when the characteristics of faecal sludge are optimal for co-treatment. As of now in Indian STPs it is being tried by hit and trial method. For more information on co-treatment visit
https://sswm.info/sites/default/files/reference_attachments/HEINSS%201999%20SOS%20Management%20of%20Sludges%20from%20OnSite%20Sanitation_0.pdf
17. What is a small bore sewer ?
Small bore sewer conveys only septic tank effluent with no solid. It is also known as solid-free sewer. As the effluent is solid-free the sewer has much smaller diameter as compared to conventional sewerage system. These sewers require much less water and don’t need self-cleansing velocity. This system is much cheaper as compared to conventional sewerage system as it needs small pipe diameter and shallow soil excavation. This system can be used to convey septic tank effluent to the nearest treatment facility.
18.What is “search by technology”?
Under this section the user can search for a suitable option of treatment of excreta as per the requirement relation to the number of people the technology is aimed to serve.
19. What is “search by sub-technology”?
Under this section the user can search for a suitable option of treatment of excreta by capital cost, operating cost, area available.
20. What is “search by location”?
Under this section the user can search for an implemented sub-type of technology. This would help the user in estimating whether the possibility of implementation in their area too.
21. What is FSSM or FSM?
Faecal Sludge Management is the process of managing all the stages of sanitation chain, where toilets are connected to on-site sanitation systems. The stages include containment, emptying, transport, treatment and end-use/disposal of faecal sludge. FSM is not just about creating infrastructure for each stage, it also includes creating enabling environment for system to run smoothly and sustainably. For more information refer Practitioner's Guide on Septage Management - http://cdn.cseindia.org/attachments/0.11793200_1505299140_septage-management-a-practitioners-guide-update.pdf
22. If I know the technology/sub-technology, how can I find the corresponding case study?
Click here for answer (Link for search by case study)
23. What is the difference between technology and a sub-technology?
Technology is the head category while sub technologies are the different types of technologies under the said category. Refer to question 18 and question 19 for the definitions
24. What do you mean by- search by location?
Search by location gives the user the option to find technologies implemented in different geographic locations.
25. What is the procedure if someone wants to get his/her technology or case-study uploaded on the menu?
We encourage everyone who works on sanitation or individuals who have implemented sustainable technologies. If it is a case study please send it in the format (link for template for case study) , if it is a technology, please send it in the format (template for technology). If It clears CSE's review process then it would get uploaded on the web.
26. Do I need to pay for getting a technology uploaded?
This platform is for dissemination of knowledge, we do not ask for money for the either case study or technology upload.