Evaluation of Business Models for Fecal Sludge Emptying and Transport in Informal Settlements of Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Various business models for fecal sludge emptying and transport have been developed to address challenges and their advantages have been documented; however, their evaluation has not been investigated. This study developed an evaluation framework, which was tested in informal settlements in Kampala for sustainable business models of fecal sludge emptying and transport. Through key informant interviews and stakeholder consultations, service delivery challenges from informal settlements in Kampala were identified and included in the framework, which were: high cost of emptying services, spillages, access to facilities, high operational costs and social stigma. The evaluation framework adopted six service criteria: Financial, Institutional, Environmental, Technological, Social and Scalability; these were further defined by fifteen service sub-criteria. The criteria were tested separately on eight business models—for mechanized (cesspool) and semi-mechanized (gulper) technologies. The key output of the evaluation framework (business model scorecard) revealed that two models (scheduled desludging and call center) for cesspool technology and three models (mobile transfer stations, scheduled desludging and call center) for gulper technology have high potential for service improvement in informal settlements. Scheduled desludging and mobile transfer stations can effectively optimize emptying services and subsequently reduce emptying charges, whereas the call center is critical for bridging service delivery.

Faecal sludge emptying in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia: A systematic review of emptying technology choices, challenges, and improvement initiatives

“…Eight studies reported on how variation in density or thickness of FS in OSS facilities affects the choice of emptying method (Figure 3). The thickness of FS depends on the quantity of solid wastes deposited in sanitation facilities, water addition, infiltration or exfiltration of water and the extent of compaction/solidification that has occurred (Manga et al, 2016;Simwambi et al, 2017;Semiyaga et al, 2022). FS from lined pit latrines and septic tanks is less thick compared to that from unlined pit latrines.…”

“…The quality of service is defined in terms of hygienic methods applied during emptying (n = 10, 77%), time spent emptying (n = 6, 46%), and complete emptying of FS contents (n = 5, 38%). Mechanical operators are found to provide more efficient, hygienic services, and easily accessing treatment plants compared to manual emptiers (Parkinson and Quader, 2008;Thye et al, 2009;Semiyaga et al, 2022). Mechanical operators are usually organized into registered companies, thereby providing safer working conditions than manual emptiers whose method of operation exposes the population to peril associated with poor FS handling (Mbéguéré et al, 2010;Zaquot et al, 2020).…”

“…Apart from the involvement of NGOs and IDAs, city corporations provide emptying services. For instance, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in Kampala Uganda and Khulna City Corporation (KCC) in Bangladesh collaborate with local stakeholders to provide and improve FSM (Singh et al, 2021;Semiyaga et al, 2022;Singh et al, 2022). The city corporations help in subsidizing emptying price as well as encourage scheduled desludging.…”

Development of an Inclusive City-Wide Faecal Sludge Management Business Model for Kabwe Town, Zambia

“…For Kampala, this was mainly attributed to the high density of housing units, which limited access, especially by large cesspool trucks. The problem was further compounded by poor siting and design of latrines and septic tanks (Singh et al, 2022). Though results show that poor siting and design of containments is also common in Kabwe, the town has not reached a critical phase where emptying vehicles fail to access the facilities.…”

Estimating qualities and quantities of faecal sludge to determine resource recovery potential : A case study in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

“…Another alternative could be introduction of a regular desludging schedule, i.e. an appropriate interval for onsite containment unit emptying to households, which would provide benefits for all stakeholders along the entire service chain (Singh et al, 2022). This measure has been included in the 2035 faecal sludge management strategy for Phnom Penh (PPCA, 2021).…”