Cantón de Riobamba, Ecuador
The Goal
Improvement of the sanitary conditions of the Cantón de Riobamba rural parish churches communities through the implementation of lavatory facilities. These facilities would be environmentally sustainable and energetically autonomous, what would allow the provision of sanitary services. Also, it would help solving hygiene problems in dispersed rural populations with difficulty to access basic services or there is absence of sewerage. This need is defined in the development plans of basic services to the population and has been included in the different Development Plans and Territorial Planning (PDOT).
The Project
Conduct a pilot test for the installation of 20 sanitary lavatory units as a substitute system for a traditional washroom with a sewage treatment system whose implementation is not efficient or viable at the current time .
These sanitary lavatory units consist of a sink, urinal, toilet and shower with autonomous hot water and electricity. In the event that electrical devices cannot be connected to the network, both the hot water and the lighting will come from solar energy collector devices (solar heaters) and photovoltaic panels.
The units also incorporate water residuals' treatment with a double component: the construction of watertight chambers, which would provide organic compost for the natural fertilization of the crops and, the treatment of gray water through natural filtration using either sand filters, ionizers or filtering wetlands (bio-gardeners). This would allow the water to be reused for irrigation or to be returned to the ecosystem without polluting agents and, therefore, avoiding the negative effect in the subsoil.
The People Involved
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo (Ecuador)
- Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal de Riobamba
- CICEX – Cámara Internacional de Comercio Exterior