GIS-aided optimisation of faecal sludge management in developing countries: the case of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Abstract

This study employed GIS tools to help optimise faecal sludge (FS) management in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and its environs in Ghana. First, the rates of excreta generation, FS generation and FS collection were quantified based on literature, census and FS discharge data obtained from treatment plants in the study area. Next, we mapped the FS collection to the administrative areas in GAMA based on discharge records obtained from Lavender Hill, the main faecal treatment (FTP) and estimated the travel distance and travel time from the various FS desludging neighbourhoods to the plant. The results of the study show that the excreta and FS generation rates in GAMA are 604 L/cap/yr and 4,137 L/cap/yr, respectively. About 1 million m3 of FS was collected and treated in the study area in 2018, with a collection rate of 244 L/cap/yr. The private sector dominates this collection, haulage and treatment of FS in GAMA. The GIS analysis has provided fundamental data that will be useful in rationalising the FS emptying and transport cost in the study area. Moreover, it revealed that about 20–40% of the localities were outside the 15–25 km sustainable maximum transport distance recommended by some scholars. Finally, the findings highlight the importance of looking beyond administrative boundaries when planning for FS management logistics and infrastructure and also show that the most impoverished communities in the Accra metropolis may not necessarily be the least served when it comes to FS collection and haulage.

Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Escherichia coli in River Waters Collected from Two Cities in Ghana, 2018–2020

“…It has an estimated population of 2.5 million [ 32 ] with a sewage management plan that covers approximately 30% of the sewage generated. Accra has four sewage treatment plants, with approximately 15% of the total land area of Accra’s central business district connected to a sewer network [ 33 ]. Seven percent of urban dwellers resort to open defecation [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…The community mostly uses shared public and household toilets. Kasoa discharges about 14% (246 m 3 /day) of its total faecal sludge at the Lavender Hill waste treatment facility in Accra [ 33 ]. Its closeness to Accra satisfied the Tricycle surveillance protocol’s requirement of being in proximity to the capital city (2–4 h required for transport of samples to the laboratory).…”

Reduced Bacterial Counts from a Sewage Treatment Plant but Increased Counts and Antibiotic Resistance in the Recipient Stream in Accra, Ghana—A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The country has a population of about 30 million, of which about 2.3 million live in Accra [18]. Currently, four (Legon, Mudor, Lavender Hill Faecal Sludge Treatment Hill, and Adjen Kotoku) wastewater treatment plants are functional in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area [19,20]. Municipal sewage management is under the supervision of the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in Ghana.…”

The contribution of tipping fees to the operation, maintenance, and management of fecal sludge treatment plants: The case of Ghana

“…Beyond economies of scale, the FS content and the treated water quality standards are different in India compared to Ghana (e.g. standards for BOD are 20 mg/l instead of 50 mg/l in Ghana) ( EPA, 2000 ; CPCB, 2013 ; Sagoe et al, 2019 ). Polishing treatment units, in addition to the conventional nature-based treatment system, are therefore commonly considered in India.…”