On-Farm Use of Faecal Sludge Example from Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet National Workshop on FSM, March 17, 2015 Nadira Khawaja, WASH Sector Leader

Reuse of Faecal Sludge in Agriculture

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N, P, K, organic matter

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Fertiliser and Soil Conditioner Why to use

Peak P- Phosphorus is a finite resource Eutrophication- algal growth in water bodies

How to use

Septage has high volume water and few solids How to use on farm land safely

Challenges Guidelines

Health- pathogens and worm eggs Social Norms- is it acceptable to reuse FS; smell Environment- ground water pollution Cost/affordability/business models All end products can be used if safety guidelines are respected

Birendranagar Municipality

Size: 169 km 2 Population: 93,718 3

Birendranagar Municipality

Majority of households have flush toilet with soak pit or septic tank

Faecal Sludge: Emptying and Transport Services

• • Municipality truck out of service Private Sector:  1 service provider with one truck (6000 L capacity)  7-8 trips per week  Charges: 5000 – 6000 NPR  Business expansion: Demand exists for single provider 5

Faecal Sludge: Disposal

1) Dumping:  Designated landfill site 10 km from town centre- not used  Dumping in forest area- 6-7 km from town centre 2) Untreated use on farm land (rice)  Farmers pay 300 – 400 NPR per truck 6

Faecal Sludge: Disposal

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Faecal Sludge: Disposal

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Faecal sludge application on vegetable farming without any treatment

Solution: Work with farmer groups, close to the city centre, to use faecal sludge collected from the city, apply on crops as fertiliser, in safe (health and environment) manner, with benefits to crops.

Farmer Field Schools on Integrated Crop Management Crops:

Potato Cauliflower Cabbage

Multi-barrier Approach for Use of Human Excreta in Agriculture in Order to Protect Health

Barrier 1: Treatment Process Fermenter Pool Technology (6 m 3 )

Prepare Mixture of 200L: Molasses (20 kg) Bacterial (EM) solution (20L) Water Bio-pesticide- jeevato (1 L) Store for 1 week in sun

Barrier 1: Treatment Process Fermenter Pool Technology

Mix solution and sludge.

Add ash if available.

Cover, leave for 2 weeks.

Mix regularly.

Barrier 2: Wear Protective Equipment

Barrier 3: Method of application Fertigation or application manually in furrows

Barrier 4:Witholding period Stop one month before harvest

Joint Monitoring by Stakeholders

Preliminary Results: Reuse in Agriculture

• • • • • No chemical fertilizer No chemical pesticide Larger size of potatoes Yield the same or more as compared to farmer practices and chemical fertilizers Can use multiple sources of organic matter in fermenter: Septage, traditional toilets, animal manure, green manure 19

Preliminary Results: Social Norms

• • High acceptance and demand for faecal sludge Use of own toilet waste • Illiterate farmers also can easily understand about the process of preparing fermented FS as well as applying in vegetables.

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Preliminary Results: Health

Results from treated sludge: significant reduction in pathogens

Pathogen

E. coli Helminth Eggs Salmonella sp.

Sample 1

9 x 10 4 Hookworm Absent

Sample 2

31 x 10 3 Hookworm, Ascaris Absent

Sample 3

28 x 10 3 Absent Present

Sample 3

18 x 10 3 Ascaris Present Results from harvested crops in process 21

Preliminary Results: Affordability Farmers

• One time investment of 32,000 NPR for fertigation of • 1500 m 2 land (6 m 3 lined pool, drum, pump/pipes) Per cropping season cost of materials: 3,000 to 4,000 NPR (EM, molasses, jeevato, septage)

Desludging tanker

• Reduction in travel cost from 12 km round trip to dumping ground down to 6 km round trip to farmers 22

Preliminary Results: Environment

• • • No risk to ground water pollution No dumping Reuse of phosphorus mineral 23

Preliminary Results: Challenges

• • • • Adjust technology and application for rain fed crops Optimise treatment process Optimise use on crops- application rates and timing Access of trucks to fields 24