Toilet alarms: A novel application of latrine sensors and machine learning for optimizing sanitation services in informal settlements

Turman-Bryant, Nick; Sharpe, Taylor; Nagel, Corey; Stover, Lauren; Thomas, Evan

doi:10.1016/j.deveng.2020.100052

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Although automated sensors are regularly used to monitor water quality in wastewater and drinking water utilities in high-income countries, their application to track drinking water quality in LMICs is not as common . Increased affordability of mobile phone technologies has supported the deployment of remote monitoring systems to assess the functionality, use, and effectiveness of WASH interventions. , Examples of remote sensing device applications in the WASH sector include continuous monitoring of handpump functionality, usage patterns of latrines, and usage of hand-washing stations . Machine-learning platforms have also been demonstrated to improve handpump functionality by using daily monitoring data to predict and respond to upcoming maintenance needs .…”

Section: Limitations and Priority Areas For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive In-Line Chlorination for Drinking Water Disinfection: A Critical Review

Lindmark

Cherukumilli

Crider

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The world is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 to provide universal access to safely managed drinking water by 2030. Removal of priority microbial contaminants by disinfection is one aspect of ensuring water is safely managed. Passive chlorination (also called in-line chlorination) represents one approach to disinfecting drinking water before or at the point of collection (POC), without requiring daily user input or electricity. In contrast to manual household chlorination methods typically implemented at the point of use (POU), passive chlorinators can reduce the user burden for chlorine dosing and enable treatment at scales ranging from communities to small municipalities. In this review, we synthesized evidence from 27 evaluations of passive chlorinators (in 19 articles, 3 NGO reports, and 5 theses) conducted across 16 countries in communities, schools, health care facilities, and refugee camps. Of the 27 passive chlorinators we identified, the majority (22/27) were solid tablet or granular chlorine dosers, and the remaining devices were liquid chlorine dosers. We identified the following research priorities to address existing barriers to scaled deployment of passive chlorinators: (i) strengthening local chlorine supply chains through decentralized liquid chlorine production, (ii) validating context-specific business models and financial sustainability, (iii) leveraging remote monitoring and sensing tools to monitor real-time chlorine levels and potential system failures, and (iv) designing handpump-compatible passive chlorinators to serve the many communities reliant on handpumps as a primary drinking water source. We also propose a set of reporting indicators for future studies to facilitate standardized evaluations of the technical performance and financial sustainability of passive chlorinators. In addition, we discuss the limitations of chlorine-based disinfection and recognize the importance of addressing chemical contamination in drinking water supplies. Passive chlorinators deployed and managed at-scale have the potential to elevate the quality of existing accessible and available water services to meet “safely managed” requirements.

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Section: Limitations and Priority Areas For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive In-Line Chlorination for Drinking Water Disinfection: A Critical Review

Lindmark

Cherukumilli

Crider

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Critically, they have the potential to be coupled with increasingly prevalent communication toolsincluding mobile networkscreating a pathway for the transmission of actionable information to stakeholders with an interest in course correction. In the right context, sensors have been used to inform stakeholders regarding the use of sanitation technologies, 57−59 to establish new methods for higher-efficiency sanitation service delivery, 60 to understand actual user behaviors around new WASH technologies, 61 to support measurement of the health impacts of interventions, 62 to improve service levels and operations and maintenance practices for water infrastructure, 4,63 and to examine water use behaviors in the face of climate change. 64,65 As one example, in 2014 we installed cellular connected sensors on rural handpumps in Rwanda capable of measuring handpump use and function with accelerators and water pressure transducers (n = 181 pumps), in order to more quickly identify pumps that were broken so that repair teams could be mobilized.…”

Section: Providersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Feedback to Improve Accountability in Global Environmental Health and Engineering

Thomas

Brown

2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Engineered environmental health interventions and services in low-income and resource-limited settingssuch as water supply and treatment, sanitation, and cleaner household energy serviceshave had a less than expected record of sustainability and have sometimes not delivered on their potential to improve health. These interventions require both effectively functioning technologies as well as supporting financial, political, and human resource systems, and may depend on user behaviors as well as professionalized service delivery to reduce harmful exposures. In this perspective, we propose that the application of smarter, more actionable monitoring and decision support systems and aligned financial incentives can enhance accountability between donors, implementers, service providers, governments, and the people who are the intended beneficiaries of development programming. Made possible in part by new measurement techniques, including emerging sensor technologies, rapid impact evaluation, citizen science, and performance-based contracting, such systems have the potential to propel the development of solutions that can work over the long-term, allowing the benefits of environmental health improvements to be sustained in settings where they are most critical by improving trust and mutual accountability among stakeholders.

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“…We focus on the design and manufacture of internet-connected products that can interface with existing infrastructure. We have designed products to improve levels of service delivery and operations and maintenance practices for water infrastructure [10], to inform stakeholders regarding the use of sanitation technologies [11], to understand actual consumer behaviors around new technologies [12], to measure health impacts of interventions [10], to establish new methods for higher-efficiency sanitation service delivery [13], and to examine consumer behaviors in the face of climate change [14]. By providing products that can help service providers and public health practitioners fill in critical gaps in available data, these efforts have worked towards a more transparent and measurable field global engineering [15].…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The goal was to explore possible service route optimization strategies. Following a quasi-experimental study described elsewhere [13], Sanergy found that the most useful element of the design was the RFID system to improve communication between FLOs and Sanergy staff. Sanergy is now piloting a project that would more directly incorporate this capability into their service delivery model.…”

Section: Sanitation Service Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Product Design Supporting Improved Water, Sanitation, and Energy Services Delivery in Low-Income Settings

2019

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Several approaches have been proposed in the literature supporting product design applied in low-income settings. These approaches have typically focused on individual- and household-level beneficiaries, with an emphasis on participatory, human-centered co-design methods. In this paper, we present a design approach that is, in contrast, focused on supporting providers of improved water, sanitation, and energy services. We establish requirements for design in these contexts, especially addressing design iteration. We describe sets of feedback systems between designers and various sources of expert knowledge, codifying roles of design stakeholders in this context. We demonstrate these principles across three case studies: a sanitation service monitoring technology in Kenya; a water flowmeter technology in Kenya; and a water storage monitoring technology in Sierra Leone.

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Toilet alarms: A novel application of latrine sensors and machine learning for optimizing sanitation services in informal settlements

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Passive In-Line Chlorination for Drinking Water Disinfection: A Critical Review

Passive In-Line Chlorination for Drinking Water Disinfection: A Critical Review

Using Feedback to Improve Accountability in Global Environmental Health and Engineering

Product Design Supporting Improved Water, Sanitation, and Energy Services Delivery in Low-Income Settings

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