Water, Sanitation, Hygiene
According to the Centers for Disease Control, global access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene education can reduce illness and death from disease, leading to improved health, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development. However, many countries are challenged to provide these basic necessities to their populations, leaving people at risk for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related diseases. Resources available within this theme offer information on providing access to safe water and appropriate sanitation facilities, and introducing sound hygiene behaviors.
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Resources
Water for the World: Constructing Aqua Privies
U.S. Agency for International Development
An aqua privy is an underground watertight vault filled with water that receives excreta and washwater from a drop-pipe, allows solids to settle to the bottom, and discharges effluent to a soakage pit. This technical manual provides step-by-step instructions for constructing an aqua privy.Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Operating and Maintaining Compost Toilets
U.S. Agency for International Development
Maintaining a compost toilet involves keeping it clean and periodically changing vaults and removing compost. Maintaining a compost toilet requires monthly inspection and repair damage. This manual provides a guide to correctly using compost toilets and effectively operating and maintaining them.Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Septic Tanks
U.S. Agency for International Development
A septic tank is a self-operating unit for sewage treatment. The tank receives raw sewage from a building, allows solids to settle out, and discharges effluent to an underground (subsurface) absorption system for final disposal. This technical note describes each step in constructing a septic tank.Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Stabilization Ponds
U.S. Agency for International Development
A stabilization pond is a large shallow excavation that receives sewage from a sewage system, detains the sewage so that biological processes can destroy most of the disease-causing organisms, and discharges the effluent as treated sewage. This technical note describes how to construct a...Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Compost Toilets
U.S. Agency for International Development
A compost toilet consists of a pair of waterproof vaults that receive excreta, ashes, sawdust, straw, and grass. Each vault is equipped with a slab for defecating, a rear opening for removing compost, and a hole for a vent pipe. This technical manual provides step-by-step instructions for...Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Operating and Maintaining Privies
U.S. Agency for International Development
A privy consists of a pit to hold excreta, a slab with a squatting hole or a seat and pedestal, and a shelter to give the user privacy. Maintaining a privy involves cleaning the slab weekly, repairing the privy as needed, and eventually filling the pit with soil and moving the slab and shelter to a...Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaWater for the World: Constructing Sewer Systems
U.S. Agency for International Development
A sewer system is a network of underground pipes that carries sewage by gravity flow from a number of dwellings. This technical note describes the elements involved in constructing a sewer system.Read more
Regional focus:
United States, North AmericaANSI/NGWA Water Well Construction Standard
Published:
January 1, 1970National Groundwater Association
The ANSI/NGWA 01-14 Water Well Construction Standard encompasses municipal, residential, agricultural, monitoring, and industrial water production wells.Read more
Handbook of Suggested Practices in the Design and Installation of Groundwater Monitoring Wells
Published:
January 1, 1970National Groundwater Association
This book presents practices currently used in the design and installation of monitoring wells. Emphasis is placed on the constraints dictated by hydrogeology conditions and limitations imposed by the availability of equipment to do the work that is needed. These constraints are balanced against...Read more
Manual of Water Well Construction Practices
Published:
January 1, 1970National Groundwater Association
This book is a revision of a document originally written under contract for the U.S. EPA. Comprehensive in its scope of current well construction methods, it is designed to serve not only contractors, but also as a guideline for state well inspectors.Read more
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