Population Reports' Q&As

Meeting the Urban Challenge

Making Urban Areas Work

Which two types of sanitation technologies can help improve sanitation?

More widespread use of two types of sanitation technologies-on-site and off-site-can help improve sanitation. On-site technologies dispose of wastes where they are created, as with latrines. Off-site technologies dispose of waste centrally, as in conventional sewerage treatment systems (50). Better on-site sanitation can be achieved through greater use of dry nonflush latrines, which can be built cheaply, are easy to operate, and are inexpensive to maintain. In particular, they are suited to areas where water supply is limited and there is enough land to dig new latrines and fill up old ones (50). Off-site technologies tend to have a much higher cost, require skilled labor for construction, and they need constant maintenance.

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