Unless the global population takes swift, comprehensive and appropriate
action, the United Nation’s goal of cutting the number of people without
proper sanitation in half by 2015 probably won’t be reached until 2070.
So points out Therese Dooley, senior adviser for sanitation and hygiene for
United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and a member of the United
Nation’s Sanitation Task Force.
“We really do have to pull out all stops,” she says. “People deserve no less
from us. Children deserve no less from us than to really work hard toward
this goal.”
Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. Those 1.5
million deaths each year are preventable.
The goal of which Dooley speaks is one of the UN’s Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) - for sanitation, it’s to reduce by half the
proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015.
That goal - one of eight to promote the health and well-being of all people,
as well as poverty reduction - is “way off track,” notes Dooley.
In an effort to bring public awareness and accelerate progress toward the
goal, the UN’s General Assembly has declared 2008 the International Year
of Sanitation.
It’s critical to raise the profile of sanitation in today’s society, says Dooley.
“Sanitation often has a low profile and we would like to see the
International Year of Sanitation as being a year where we can help to raise
the profile of sanitation,” she says. “Also, we want to get people talking
and thinking about sanitation and its importance and to get decent budget
allocations for sanitation, particularly in the developing world where quite
often there are very little budget allocations made for sanitation.”
At least 2.6 billion people – or 41 percent of the worldwide population – do
not have access to latrines or any other type of basic sanitation benefiting
those in developed areas. Of that number, one billion are children.
“For UNICEF, the International Year of Sanitation is exceedingly important
in highlighting the importance of sanitation and hygiene for children,
particularly as it relates to child survival and development on one side,
which is very important and is core to our mandate which is to reduce the
number of children dying early throughout the world,” says Dooley.
“Secondly, to bring attention to the whole area of schools and particularly
around girls’ education, because lack of access to sanitation or improved
sanitation or private sanitation facilities in schools often leads to early drop
out or low performance for girls in school.”
Sanitation is the most important medical advance since 1840, according to
a British Medical Journal reader survey.
Improved sanitation reduces cholera, worms, diarrhea, pneumonia and
malnutrition, as well as other maladies that lead to disease and death in
millions of people.
Not only does proper sanitation benefit human health, but also local
economies, personal dignity and social development and the environment,
UN documents point out.
The UN’s Action Plan - developed through its Department of Economic and
Social Affairs in partnership with other UN agencies, NGOs (Non-
Governmental Organizations), the private sector and academia - focuses
on raising awareness, releasing new and updated publications,
advocating, monitoring access and commitments, advancing
implementation, strengthening capacities, and evaluating costs and
benefits.
The goals of the International Year of Sanitation include:
Increase awareness and commitment on the importance of sanitation -
including health, gender equity, education, sustainable development,
economic and environmental issues – through open communication,
vigorous monitoring data and sound evidence.
Mobilize local and national governments, existing alliances, financial
institutions, sanitation and service providers, major groups, the private
sector and UN agencies through rapid collaborative agreements on how
and who will undertake needed steps.
Secure commitments to review, develop and implement effective action to
scale up sanitation programs and strengthen sanitation policies on
national and international levels.
Encourage demand-driven, sustainable and traditional solutions and
informed choices by recognizing the importance of working from the bottom
up with practitioners and communities.
Secure increased financing to jump start and sustain progress through
commitments from national budgets and development partner allocations.
Develop and strengthen institutional and human capacity through multi-
level recognition that progress to the MDG involves interlinked programs in
hygiene, household and school facilities (such as toilets and washing
facilities), and the collection, treatment and safe reuse or disposal of
wastewater and human excreta. Also included is community mobilization,
the recognition of women's key role and stake, along with an appropriate
mix of ‘software’ and ‘hardware' interventions.
Enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of available sanitation
solutions to improve health impacts, social and cultural acceptance,
technological and institutional appropriateness and the protection of the
environment and natural resources.
Promote and capture learning to enhance the evidence base and
knowledge on sanitation in an effort to contribute to the advocacy and
increase investments in the sector.
Key to the program is the development of road maps and budgets for
achieving sanitation targets at country level, country by country, “so that
their plans are in place and we know and everybody is aware of what they
need and what they’re working toward,” says Dooley.
“At country levels, there would be a variety of activities: educational and
implementation,” says Dooley. “We’re currently working on water projects
in about 93 countries, hoping to accelerate sanitation implementation
activities with partners and counterparts in all of those countries.”
Among the ways people can get involved in the effort, the UN recommends:
Learn more about the issue. While there is probably no greater
knowledge base than that of portable sanitation operators and those who
work in the septic and sewer industries, there is much more to be learned
about global challenges. The website http://esa.un.org/iys/ offers a
comprehensive overview of sanitation progress, hygiene promotion,
sanitary facilities, water quality, wastewater management, and emergency
sanitation.
Find out what’s happening in your country. Dooley says Latin America has
already hosted a regional conference, but she is not aware of one yet
planned for the United States.
Participate in awareness-raising activities. Throughout 2008, there are
several international days celebrated: World Water Day on March 22 (or
20th in some parts of the world, as March 22 falls on Easter weekend)
celebrated as world Sanitation Day; World Health Day on April 7; World
Environment Day on June 5; International Literacy Day on September 8;
World Habitat Day on October 6, and International Day for Disaster
Reduction on October 10.
Portable sanitation operators and manufactures may use those
occasions to promote proper sanitation through such events as
encouraging school systems or local governments to help develop and
promote a hygiene and sanitation ethic among children and adults through
such avenues as stickers, posters, songs, plays, radio messages, TV spots
or anything that can be used in the community to educate people about
hygiene and sanitation and give them ideas about what they can do.
Those who do such events are invited to take pictures of concrete
actions used to promote sanitation, accompanied by a 150-word
description about the picture, which can then be sent to the UN for a
chance to share that experience with others worldwide.
The UN focal point for IYS is Ms. Kenza Kaouakib-Robinson; email:
robinson1@un.org
Another suggestion by the UN is to write an article for local
newspapers or write a letter to the editor to encourage more sanitation
coverage.
And still another suggestion: organize events relating to sanitation
during this year, such as public awareness campaigns, speaking series,
letter-writing campaigns. The UN suggests taking a look at past promises
made by government agencies in terms of local sanitation and in other
countries to determine if those promises were kept and if not, start
campaigns to remind government entities of these promises and
encourage and mobilize local communities to get started on ensuring those
agreements are kept.
The economic benefits of proper sanitation offset the “astronomical”
economic costs of inaction, UN documents point out.
It’s estimated that to attain the goal of halving the number of people
without basic sanitation by 2015 would cost $10 billion annually; the same
investment could achieve complete basic sanitation for everyone in the
world within two decades.
That number is less than one percent of the world military spending in
2005 and one-third of the estimated global spending on bottled water.
According to an updated study by the World Health Organization, for every
$1 invested in sanitation, $9.50 would be reaped in economic benefits.
“One of the key messages of the International Year of Sanitation is that
sanitation makes economic sense,” says Dooley. “There are savings you
make in terms of health improvements, costs to health services, working
days saved, and school days saved.
“For those of us very close to sanitation, it makes absolute sense and we
can see it. For others, sanitation is seen as something that will cost too
much to do. You go to a country that has six percent sanitation coverage
and it seems that it’s such an overwhelming thing to do that they feel that
they would never be able to afford it. But when you break down the
economic argument, it’s actually best to invest in your sanitation program
than in other issues that may cost less but won’t have the same economic
return.”
Another benefit of proper sanitation is the promotion of dignity and social
development. Women and girls are particularly prone to issues of
compromised privacy and safety in areas lacking proper sanitation.
Convenience and social status is improved. Girls are especially prone to
leave the educational system after reaching puberty for lack of proper
sanitation facilities; restricted toilet opportunities increase incidences of
chronic constipation. Women are vulnerable to violence if they are forced to
defecate during nightfall and in secluded areas.
Sanitation also is an environmental issue. Drinking water sources are
compromised by crude methods of human waste disposal. Presently, more
than 200 million tons of human waste joins vast quantities of wastewater
and solid waste in going uncollected and untreated around the world,
fouling the environment and exposing millions of people to disease and
squalor, UN documents point out.
Dooley points out that globally, sanitation is normally linked with water,
“but it’s like sanitation is the orphan child. Water will always get the
money. It’s an easy thing for people to talk about and address and the
need is seen more powerfully.
“We want sanitation to get the recognition so that it can get the budget
allocations. We have the target groups, from the general public right
through the whole spectrum of people who basically can create demand for
sanitation and can influence improvements in sanitation.”
While sanitation refers to toilets, latrines and disposal of feces, it also
relates to the hygiene practices that surround that, particularly to hand
washing.
“Those are the two main areas we focus on, because they have the
highest impact on children,” says Dooley.
Hand washing completes sanitation as a comprehensive hygiene practice
and effective sanitation programs should include efforts to promote
hygiene, UN documents state.
Unwashed hands can transmit the bacteria, viruses and parasites found in
human feces directly to foods and mouths, causing preventable illnesses
such as diarrhea or intestinal worms.
More than 90 percent of the 1.8 million people who die each year from
diarrhea are children under five. The mere act of washing hands with soap
and water serves as a major factor in saving lives and improving health
and nutrition.
Social stigma prevents people from speaking openly about hygiene. The
International Year of Sanitation sets to address this challenge by helping
to break that taboo.
Against the backdrop of those in the developed world who have access to
a private, flush toilet and piped water which separates drinking water from
sewerage are those millions of people in underdeveloped countries who
defecate in bags, buckets, fields or ditches.
The sanitation technologies needed in those countries must take into
account wastewater handling. Governments can have insufficient
resources to allocate to the often high cost of wastewater treatment.
Circumstance-specific technologies are needed; for example, conventional
sewerage systems in water-short regions may be unsustainable.
Water quality issues as a result of the circle of sanitation are a concern;
when people drink contaminated water or eat food irrigated with
untreated water, bacteria, viruses and parasites may infect people who
will in turn contaminate the environment with infected feces or urine.
Discharge via a sewer or drain to a river can affect marine environments
and communities living downstream, with accumulated effects that may
take many years to manifest.
Economic losses ensue: increased health care costs, lower productivity and
income losses due to illness, drop in fish production, and declines in
tourism, for example.
Those portable sanitation operators involved in post-Hurricane Katrina
efforts can appreciate the concern of the UN with respect for the need for
sanitation following an emergency.
The UN points out that major health risks due to inadequate disposal
opportunities after disasters calls for immediate response, especially when
large numbers of people are displaced.
“When sections of the population can no longer use their toilets, public
facilities may need to be provided, by allowing access to schools,
community centers, etc., or by setting up temporary public toilets,” UN
documents state.
“Simple drop-hole latrines can be placed over open inspection covers,
allowing excreta to drop straight into a sewer if the sewer is still in
operation and sufficiently flushed with sewage,” the documents state.
“If not, then water tankers can be used to flush them one or more times
per day. Storm drains can also be used for this purpose, but only after
careful consideration of the environmental risks. In extreme situations, it
may be necessary, as a temporary measure, to discharge sewage directly
into a river or the sea, or to hold it in a safe, isolated place. If this is done,
the public must be informed, and any places used for this purpose should
be fenced off.”
While the sanitation crisis is outside of the United States, there is much
that U.S. manufacturers and portable sanitation operators can do here to
assist those abroad, Dooley says.
“I think sanitation is important to everybody globally; it doesn’t matter
what part of the world we live in,” she says. “Everybody has a major role.”
There are a variety of technologies available globally for sanitation
solutions, Dooley points out.
“The range of technologies is very important, because not every
technology is suitable and can be replicated across the globe,” she says.
“For example, we’re used to having large-scale sewage systems, which
may not necessarily be suitable in a rural part of Africa or Asia. We have to
really start looking at how we can bring cost-effective and appropriate
technologies to communities throughout the world.”
That’s where manufacturers’ Research and Development teams come in,
she says.
The area of emergencies is a highly-neglected area, Dooley says.
“If we think of floods, droughts, cholera outbreaks, large refugee crisis and
the need for urgent, yet very quick and mobile solutions, we really have to
do an awful lot more work and take the lead when it comes to a
humanitarian crisis,” she says. “That’s an area where we really need to
work more closely with the private sector for rapid solutions in
emergencies.”
Those U.S. companies that have an interest in helping countries abroad
establish a sanitation operation need first to consider the appropriate
technologies for that particular region and then partner with an NGO (to
find one, go to www.ngo.org) to ensure that what they are promoting and
training on could be replicated, says Dooley.
“That would ensure longer-term sustainability,” she says. “I think it would
be a real question of thinking about what the best niche would be and
what the best solution would be for various situations.”
NGOs are more accessible than larger organizations and would provide a
one-to-one approach with some of the key players in the sector, Dooley
adds.
Partners in the effort include the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, the United
Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health
Organization, the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council, UN
Water, the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water &
Sanitation, the United Nations Interagency Gender and Water Task Force,
the Institute for Water Education, the World Toilet Association General
Assembly, the International Water and Sanitation Centre, Global Water
Partnership, Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, WaterAid, Water and
Sanitation Programme, and the Stockholm International Water Institute.
action, the United Nation’s goal of cutting the number of people without
proper sanitation in half by 2015 probably won’t be reached until 2070.
So points out Therese Dooley, senior adviser for sanitation and hygiene for
United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and a member of the United
Nation’s Sanitation Task Force.
“We really do have to pull out all stops,” she says. “People deserve no less
from us. Children deserve no less from us than to really work hard toward
this goal.”
Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. Those 1.5
million deaths each year are preventable.
The goal of which Dooley speaks is one of the UN’s Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) - for sanitation, it’s to reduce by half the
proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015.
That goal - one of eight to promote the health and well-being of all people,
as well as poverty reduction - is “way off track,” notes Dooley.
In an effort to bring public awareness and accelerate progress toward the
goal, the UN’s General Assembly has declared 2008 the International Year
of Sanitation.
It’s critical to raise the profile of sanitation in today’s society, says Dooley.
“Sanitation often has a low profile and we would like to see the
International Year of Sanitation as being a year where we can help to raise
the profile of sanitation,” she says. “Also, we want to get people talking
and thinking about sanitation and its importance and to get decent budget
allocations for sanitation, particularly in the developing world where quite
often there are very little budget allocations made for sanitation.”
At least 2.6 billion people – or 41 percent of the worldwide population – do
not have access to latrines or any other type of basic sanitation benefiting
those in developed areas. Of that number, one billion are children.
“For UNICEF, the International Year of Sanitation is exceedingly important
in highlighting the importance of sanitation and hygiene for children,
particularly as it relates to child survival and development on one side,
which is very important and is core to our mandate which is to reduce the
number of children dying early throughout the world,” says Dooley.
“Secondly, to bring attention to the whole area of schools and particularly
around girls’ education, because lack of access to sanitation or improved
sanitation or private sanitation facilities in schools often leads to early drop
out or low performance for girls in school.”
Sanitation is the most important medical advance since 1840, according to
a British Medical Journal reader survey.
Improved sanitation reduces cholera, worms, diarrhea, pneumonia and
malnutrition, as well as other maladies that lead to disease and death in
millions of people.
Not only does proper sanitation benefit human health, but also local
economies, personal dignity and social development and the environment,
UN documents point out.
The UN’s Action Plan - developed through its Department of Economic and
Social Affairs in partnership with other UN agencies, NGOs (Non-
Governmental Organizations), the private sector and academia - focuses
on raising awareness, releasing new and updated publications,
advocating, monitoring access and commitments, advancing
implementation, strengthening capacities, and evaluating costs and
benefits.
The goals of the International Year of Sanitation include:
Increase awareness and commitment on the importance of sanitation -
including health, gender equity, education, sustainable development,
economic and environmental issues – through open communication,
vigorous monitoring data and sound evidence.
Mobilize local and national governments, existing alliances, financial
institutions, sanitation and service providers, major groups, the private
sector and UN agencies through rapid collaborative agreements on how
and who will undertake needed steps.
Secure commitments to review, develop and implement effective action to
scale up sanitation programs and strengthen sanitation policies on
national and international levels.
Encourage demand-driven, sustainable and traditional solutions and
informed choices by recognizing the importance of working from the bottom
up with practitioners and communities.
Secure increased financing to jump start and sustain progress through
commitments from national budgets and development partner allocations.
Develop and strengthen institutional and human capacity through multi-
level recognition that progress to the MDG involves interlinked programs in
hygiene, household and school facilities (such as toilets and washing
facilities), and the collection, treatment and safe reuse or disposal of
wastewater and human excreta. Also included is community mobilization,
the recognition of women's key role and stake, along with an appropriate
mix of ‘software’ and ‘hardware' interventions.
Enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of available sanitation
solutions to improve health impacts, social and cultural acceptance,
technological and institutional appropriateness and the protection of the
environment and natural resources.
Promote and capture learning to enhance the evidence base and
knowledge on sanitation in an effort to contribute to the advocacy and
increase investments in the sector.
Key to the program is the development of road maps and budgets for
achieving sanitation targets at country level, country by country, “so that
their plans are in place and we know and everybody is aware of what they
need and what they’re working toward,” says Dooley.
“At country levels, there would be a variety of activities: educational and
implementation,” says Dooley. “We’re currently working on water projects
in about 93 countries, hoping to accelerate sanitation implementation
activities with partners and counterparts in all of those countries.”
Among the ways people can get involved in the effort, the UN recommends:
Learn more about the issue. While there is probably no greater
knowledge base than that of portable sanitation operators and those who
work in the septic and sewer industries, there is much more to be learned
about global challenges. The website http://esa.un.org/iys/ offers a
comprehensive overview of sanitation progress, hygiene promotion,
sanitary facilities, water quality, wastewater management, and emergency
sanitation.
Find out what’s happening in your country. Dooley says Latin America has
already hosted a regional conference, but she is not aware of one yet
planned for the United States.
Participate in awareness-raising activities. Throughout 2008, there are
several international days celebrated: World Water Day on March 22 (or
20th in some parts of the world, as March 22 falls on Easter weekend)
celebrated as world Sanitation Day; World Health Day on April 7; World
Environment Day on June 5; International Literacy Day on September 8;
World Habitat Day on October 6, and International Day for Disaster
Reduction on October 10.
Portable sanitation operators and manufactures may use those
occasions to promote proper sanitation through such events as
encouraging school systems or local governments to help develop and
promote a hygiene and sanitation ethic among children and adults through
such avenues as stickers, posters, songs, plays, radio messages, TV spots
or anything that can be used in the community to educate people about
hygiene and sanitation and give them ideas about what they can do.
Those who do such events are invited to take pictures of concrete
actions used to promote sanitation, accompanied by a 150-word
description about the picture, which can then be sent to the UN for a
chance to share that experience with others worldwide.
The UN focal point for IYS is Ms. Kenza Kaouakib-Robinson; email:
robinson1@un.org
Another suggestion by the UN is to write an article for local
newspapers or write a letter to the editor to encourage more sanitation
coverage.
And still another suggestion: organize events relating to sanitation
during this year, such as public awareness campaigns, speaking series,
letter-writing campaigns. The UN suggests taking a look at past promises
made by government agencies in terms of local sanitation and in other
countries to determine if those promises were kept and if not, start
campaigns to remind government entities of these promises and
encourage and mobilize local communities to get started on ensuring those
agreements are kept.
The economic benefits of proper sanitation offset the “astronomical”
economic costs of inaction, UN documents point out.
It’s estimated that to attain the goal of halving the number of people
without basic sanitation by 2015 would cost $10 billion annually; the same
investment could achieve complete basic sanitation for everyone in the
world within two decades.
That number is less than one percent of the world military spending in
2005 and one-third of the estimated global spending on bottled water.
According to an updated study by the World Health Organization, for every
$1 invested in sanitation, $9.50 would be reaped in economic benefits.
“One of the key messages of the International Year of Sanitation is that
sanitation makes economic sense,” says Dooley. “There are savings you
make in terms of health improvements, costs to health services, working
days saved, and school days saved.
“For those of us very close to sanitation, it makes absolute sense and we
can see it. For others, sanitation is seen as something that will cost too
much to do. You go to a country that has six percent sanitation coverage
and it seems that it’s such an overwhelming thing to do that they feel that
they would never be able to afford it. But when you break down the
economic argument, it’s actually best to invest in your sanitation program
than in other issues that may cost less but won’t have the same economic
return.”
Another benefit of proper sanitation is the promotion of dignity and social
development. Women and girls are particularly prone to issues of
compromised privacy and safety in areas lacking proper sanitation.
Convenience and social status is improved. Girls are especially prone to
leave the educational system after reaching puberty for lack of proper
sanitation facilities; restricted toilet opportunities increase incidences of
chronic constipation. Women are vulnerable to violence if they are forced to
defecate during nightfall and in secluded areas.
Sanitation also is an environmental issue. Drinking water sources are
compromised by crude methods of human waste disposal. Presently, more
than 200 million tons of human waste joins vast quantities of wastewater
and solid waste in going uncollected and untreated around the world,
fouling the environment and exposing millions of people to disease and
squalor, UN documents point out.
Dooley points out that globally, sanitation is normally linked with water,
“but it’s like sanitation is the orphan child. Water will always get the
money. It’s an easy thing for people to talk about and address and the
need is seen more powerfully.
“We want sanitation to get the recognition so that it can get the budget
allocations. We have the target groups, from the general public right
through the whole spectrum of people who basically can create demand for
sanitation and can influence improvements in sanitation.”
While sanitation refers to toilets, latrines and disposal of feces, it also
relates to the hygiene practices that surround that, particularly to hand
washing.
“Those are the two main areas we focus on, because they have the
highest impact on children,” says Dooley.
Hand washing completes sanitation as a comprehensive hygiene practice
and effective sanitation programs should include efforts to promote
hygiene, UN documents state.
Unwashed hands can transmit the bacteria, viruses and parasites found in
human feces directly to foods and mouths, causing preventable illnesses
such as diarrhea or intestinal worms.
More than 90 percent of the 1.8 million people who die each year from
diarrhea are children under five. The mere act of washing hands with soap
and water serves as a major factor in saving lives and improving health
and nutrition.
Social stigma prevents people from speaking openly about hygiene. The
International Year of Sanitation sets to address this challenge by helping
to break that taboo.
Against the backdrop of those in the developed world who have access to
a private, flush toilet and piped water which separates drinking water from
sewerage are those millions of people in underdeveloped countries who
defecate in bags, buckets, fields or ditches.
The sanitation technologies needed in those countries must take into
account wastewater handling. Governments can have insufficient
resources to allocate to the often high cost of wastewater treatment.
Circumstance-specific technologies are needed; for example, conventional
sewerage systems in water-short regions may be unsustainable.
Water quality issues as a result of the circle of sanitation are a concern;
when people drink contaminated water or eat food irrigated with
untreated water, bacteria, viruses and parasites may infect people who
will in turn contaminate the environment with infected feces or urine.
Discharge via a sewer or drain to a river can affect marine environments
and communities living downstream, with accumulated effects that may
take many years to manifest.
Economic losses ensue: increased health care costs, lower productivity and
income losses due to illness, drop in fish production, and declines in
tourism, for example.
Those portable sanitation operators involved in post-Hurricane Katrina
efforts can appreciate the concern of the UN with respect for the need for
sanitation following an emergency.
The UN points out that major health risks due to inadequate disposal
opportunities after disasters calls for immediate response, especially when
large numbers of people are displaced.
“When sections of the population can no longer use their toilets, public
facilities may need to be provided, by allowing access to schools,
community centers, etc., or by setting up temporary public toilets,” UN
documents state.
“Simple drop-hole latrines can be placed over open inspection covers,
allowing excreta to drop straight into a sewer if the sewer is still in
operation and sufficiently flushed with sewage,” the documents state.
“If not, then water tankers can be used to flush them one or more times
per day. Storm drains can also be used for this purpose, but only after
careful consideration of the environmental risks. In extreme situations, it
may be necessary, as a temporary measure, to discharge sewage directly
into a river or the sea, or to hold it in a safe, isolated place. If this is done,
the public must be informed, and any places used for this purpose should
be fenced off.”
While the sanitation crisis is outside of the United States, there is much
that U.S. manufacturers and portable sanitation operators can do here to
assist those abroad, Dooley says.
“I think sanitation is important to everybody globally; it doesn’t matter
what part of the world we live in,” she says. “Everybody has a major role.”
There are a variety of technologies available globally for sanitation
solutions, Dooley points out.
“The range of technologies is very important, because not every
technology is suitable and can be replicated across the globe,” she says.
“For example, we’re used to having large-scale sewage systems, which
may not necessarily be suitable in a rural part of Africa or Asia. We have to
really start looking at how we can bring cost-effective and appropriate
technologies to communities throughout the world.”
That’s where manufacturers’ Research and Development teams come in,
she says.
The area of emergencies is a highly-neglected area, Dooley says.
“If we think of floods, droughts, cholera outbreaks, large refugee crisis and
the need for urgent, yet very quick and mobile solutions, we really have to
do an awful lot more work and take the lead when it comes to a
humanitarian crisis,” she says. “That’s an area where we really need to
work more closely with the private sector for rapid solutions in
emergencies.”
Those U.S. companies that have an interest in helping countries abroad
establish a sanitation operation need first to consider the appropriate
technologies for that particular region and then partner with an NGO (to
find one, go to www.ngo.org) to ensure that what they are promoting and
training on could be replicated, says Dooley.
“That would ensure longer-term sustainability,” she says. “I think it would
be a real question of thinking about what the best niche would be and
what the best solution would be for various situations.”
NGOs are more accessible than larger organizations and would provide a
one-to-one approach with some of the key players in the sector, Dooley
adds.
Partners in the effort include the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, the United
Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health
Organization, the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council, UN
Water, the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water &
Sanitation, the United Nations Interagency Gender and Water Task Force,
the Institute for Water Education, the World Toilet Association General
Assembly, the International Water and Sanitation Centre, Global Water
Partnership, Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, WaterAid, Water and
Sanitation Programme, and the Stockholm International Water Institute.
| International Year of Sanitation ‘2008' |
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| This site is owned and operated by the Sanitation Journal - a leading magazine to the portable sanitation industry. For further information contact the Sanitation Journal by email: info@sanitationjournal.com or visit them online at www.sanitationjournal.com |
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the quantity of porta potties
needed and the length of time
they will be rented for.
Regardless, portable toilets are
very affordable especially when
you consider that portables can
cost upwards of $800.00 to
purchase new. A portable
restroom service vehicle-new can
be upwards of $80,000 not to
mention the labor for servicing.
• Generally the cost goes up
starting at a standard portable
restroom then to a wheelchair
accessible or ADA unit, solar
powered and then upward to
include luxury trailers. You can
expect to pay more depending on
the amenities of the toilet.
Overall portable toilet rentals are
a bargain compared to many
other types of rental equipment.
• The cost is usually related to
the quantity of porta potties
needed and the length of time
they will be rented for.
Regardless, portable toilets are
very affordable especially when
you consider that portables can
cost upwards of $800.00 to
purchase new. A portable
restroom service vehicle-new can
be upwards of $80,000 not to
mention the labor for servicing.
• Generally the cost goes up
starting at a standard portable
restroom then to a wheelchair
accessible or ADA unit, solar
powered and then upward to
include luxury trailers. You can
expect to pay more depending on
the amenities of the toilet.
Overall portable toilet rentals are
a bargain compared to many
other types of rental equipment.
Toilet-Rental.Com
National Rental Database
| A complete source connecting portable restroom contractors with builders, governmental agencies and special event coordinators. We have united our site services with portable restroom rental companies across the nation making it fast and easy for you to find the right portable restroom service provider for your need. It is absolutely free and unlike other sites that solicit personal information from you we simply connect you within just a couple of key strokes. |
| Never a Charge For The Searcher! |
| City, State |
Search by
• Portable Toilet Rentals
• If you are interested in renting
portable toilets for your
construction project, remodel or
even for a special event you
have found the most
comprehensive list of portable
toilet rental contractors.
• Toilet-Rental.com is an easy to
use site that helps you find
portable toilet rental companies
You will find portable toilet
rental companies able to meet
the demands of even the
toughest of waste management
scenarios. Contractors throughout
the area can rely on the fact that
portable toilet service providers
listed within our pages are well
equipped to rent portable toilets
in the quantity and service level
Expected. We know how important
service is for contractors doing
work in the area and realize that
finding a good quality portable
toilet rental service company is
just one component in your
overall project. If you are new to
toilet-rental.com, you have just
found the directory for portable
toilet rentals that you will want to
bookmark and return to when
your project calls for portable
toilet and or other sanitation
requirements.
• Building?
• What do I need to know?
• Construction Recommendations
• Emergency Response
• Unfortunately conditions beyond
anyone's control require the
need for an abundance of
portable toilets and service
Portable sanitation becomes a
top priority when people are left
devastated by events such as
hurricanes, earthquakes and
even fire. The need for portable
toilets often leave governmental
agencies scrambling to find
portable restroom rental
companies capable of meeting
this type of demand. In the
disaster response area of
toilet-rental.com are listings that
include portable toilet rental
companies experienced in
emergency response working with
federal agencies such as FEMA
and Army Corp of Engineers
Their credentials are listed
including state agencies they
have previously done business
with. From hurricanes flooding,
fire and earthquakes you can be
assured that the issue of portable
sanitation is properly addressed.
• Emergency Response
• If you are interested in renting
portable toilets for your
construction project, remodel or
even for a special event you
have found the most
comprehensive list of portable
toilet rental contractors.
• Toilet-Rental.com is an easy to
use site that helps you find
portable toilet rental companies
You will find portable toilet
rental companies able to meet
the demands of even the
toughest of waste management
scenarios. Contractors throughout
the area can rely on the fact that
portable toilet service providers
listed within our pages are well
equipped to rent portable toilets
in the quantity and service level
Expected. We know how important
service is for contractors doing
work in the area and realize that
finding a good quality portable
toilet rental service company is
just one component in your
overall project. If you are new to
toilet-rental.com, you have just
found the directory for portable
toilet rentals that you will want to
bookmark and return to when
your project calls for portable
toilet and or other sanitation
requirements.
• Building?
• What do I need to know?
• Construction Recommendations
• Emergency Response
• Unfortunately conditions beyond
anyone's control require the
need for an abundance of
portable toilets and service
Portable sanitation becomes a
top priority when people are left
devastated by events such as
hurricanes, earthquakes and
even fire. The need for portable
toilets often leave governmental
agencies scrambling to find
portable restroom rental
companies capable of meeting
this type of demand. In the
disaster response area of
toilet-rental.com are listings that
include portable toilet rental
companies experienced in
emergency response working with
federal agencies such as FEMA
and Army Corp of Engineers
Their credentials are listed
including state agencies they
have previously done business
with. From hurricanes flooding,
fire and earthquakes you can be
assured that the issue of portable
sanitation is properly addressed.
• Emergency Response
• Portable Restroom rentals for
events .
• You will notice that there are
no shortages of special events
from weddings requiring VIP
restrooms to large events
requiring the rental of several
fancy portable restroom
trailers, Toilet-Rental.com is
the ideal location for you to
find portable restroom rentals
that meet your waste
management needs. We know
that you are not interested in
renting outhouses, privies or
porta potties. You want clean
sanitary portable restrooms
that will enhance your event
• When it comes to quality,
Toilet-Rental.com along with
the portable toilet rental
companies listed in our
directory site create a united
approach to portable restroom
rentals. United-site services
are our number one focus!
• If you have never planned an
event it might be confusing to
calculate how many portable
restrooms need to be rented to
accommodate an anticipated
crowd. Often complicating the
issue is the addition of
specialty restroom trailers
wheel chair accessible units
and hand wash facilities. It is
in the rental of all these
portable sanitation items that
an event can be assured that
their waste management
needs are in order.
• As a first step in planning your
waste management program
you can gain a better
understanding of your needs
by utilizing this handy chart.
• Special Event Chart
• Professional Site Services
• There is much to consider
when planning for the
sanitation needs of large
groups. It is advisable to use
the chart as a place to begin
When possible speak directly
with a portable sanitation
professional who can help you
determine the quantity of
portable toilets, wheelchair
accessible units, hand wash
facilities and specialty
restroom trailers you will need
in order to enhance the overall
outcome of your special event.
• Specialty Portable Restroom
Trailers
• It is amazing but luxury
restroom trailers have
grown in popularity. These
luxury restrooms provide an
excellent method of handling
the waste management needs
of groups who prefer top of
the line accommodations. You
can find portable restroom
trailers with air-conditioning
heat, stereo, private stalls and
even marble counter tops. If
you are interested in state of
the art portable restrooms
hopefully you can find them
right here. If not we have
compiled a national list of
specialty portable restroom and
shower trailer rental companies
that can accommodate your
need. In this directory we have
united all the providers of
portable restroom, shower trailer
companies in the United
States onto one page and
have them broke down to the
areas they are willing to
service. We are confident you
will find one or more willing to
go where you need them.
• Specialty Restroom and
Shower Trailer
events .
• You will notice that there are
no shortages of special events
from weddings requiring VIP
restrooms to large events
requiring the rental of several
fancy portable restroom
trailers, Toilet-Rental.com is
the ideal location for you to
find portable restroom rentals
that meet your waste
management needs. We know
that you are not interested in
renting outhouses, privies or
porta potties. You want clean
sanitary portable restrooms
that will enhance your event
• When it comes to quality,
Toilet-Rental.com along with
the portable toilet rental
companies listed in our
directory site create a united
approach to portable restroom
rentals. United-site services
are our number one focus!
• If you have never planned an
event it might be confusing to
calculate how many portable
restrooms need to be rented to
accommodate an anticipated
crowd. Often complicating the
issue is the addition of
specialty restroom trailers
wheel chair accessible units
and hand wash facilities. It is
in the rental of all these
portable sanitation items that
an event can be assured that
their waste management
needs are in order.
• As a first step in planning your
waste management program
you can gain a better
understanding of your needs
by utilizing this handy chart.
• Special Event Chart
• Professional Site Services
• There is much to consider
when planning for the
sanitation needs of large
groups. It is advisable to use
the chart as a place to begin
When possible speak directly
with a portable sanitation
professional who can help you
determine the quantity of
portable toilets, wheelchair
accessible units, hand wash
facilities and specialty
restroom trailers you will need
in order to enhance the overall
outcome of your special event.
• Specialty Portable Restroom
Trailers
• It is amazing but luxury
restroom trailers have
grown in popularity. These
luxury restrooms provide an
excellent method of handling
the waste management needs
of groups who prefer top of
the line accommodations. You
can find portable restroom
trailers with air-conditioning
heat, stereo, private stalls and
even marble counter tops. If
you are interested in state of
the art portable restrooms
hopefully you can find them
right here. If not we have
compiled a national list of
specialty portable restroom and
shower trailer rental companies
that can accommodate your
need. In this directory we have
united all the providers of
portable restroom, shower trailer
companies in the United
States onto one page and
have them broke down to the
areas they are willing to
service. We are confident you
will find one or more willing to
go where you need them.
• Specialty Restroom and
Shower Trailer
| This site is owned and operated by the Sanitation Journal - a leading magazine to the portable sanitation industry. For further information contact the Sanitation Journal by email: info@sanitationjournal.com or visit them online at www.sanitationjournal.com |