UDTs in Haiti
"UDT" (urinary diversion toilet) is a new term in Haiti. It is an ecological toilet designed to separate urine from feces in order to conserve water and stimulate compost production. It is used in Africa, Europe and Asia. UDTs are more expensive to build than pit toilets.
SOIL (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods) says that serious training and maintenance are necessary to assure UDTs do not represent a health threat. SOIL director Sasha Kramer says that the composting site in Trutier, just outside the capital, is suitable for individuals wishing to produce fertilizer from waste.
UDTs are also a good option for places where:
• The water table is too high for pit toilets
• Floods are common
• The ground extremely hard, making it difficult to dig pits
• People want a permanent toilet in their house or nearby
SOIL considers UDTs a success in Haiti. "This system works well in the camps because enough people use them. We ensure compliance with the rules of hygiene,” Kramer told Haiti Grassroots Watch.
Over 100 SOIL UDTs are in operation in Cité Soleil, Delmas and at the Kawonabo camp, according to Kramer.
SOIL’s method is simple: Information campaigns and training sessions for the eventual beneficiaries explaining how they work.
For example, the user must cover his or her feces with sawdust or sugarcane waste after each use. In addition, the user must not mix solid and liquid. The UDT should be well covered after each use. And once the recipient container is full, it should be emptied at a composting site.
UDT at Village Eden camp. Photo: Fritznelson Fortuné
If procedures are followed correctly, there are no cockroaches, flies or odors.
"Users prefer these toilets to all other models because they eliminate odors and are sanitary,” Kramer told HGW.
After Concern’s poor experience at the Tabarre Issa camp, the organization asked SOIL to assist with its expertise at the Eden Village Camp. In a pilot project, the general population is using a public toilet while ten families experiment with UDTs in their provisional shelters.
Concern trainer Ydermond Midi checking a UDT at the Village Eden camp.
Photo: Fritznelson Fortuné
Camp resident Ydermond Midi, who also does the training for Concern on how to use the UDTs, is visibly enthusiastic: "It works well here, everyone uses it without difficulty. Our hygiene needs are met.”
Return to Temporary Toilets Threaten Permanent Damage
Read Money for Cleaning Toilets Down the Drain?
Return to the introduction and to the video
This report made possible with the support of the Fund for Investigative Journalism in Haiti
