Course Description

The course provides theoretical background and practical expertise in the field of low-cost decentralised water supply and sanitation alternatives specifically suitable for the small towns, peri-urban areas and urban slums, small island communities, tourist resorts etc. The course begins with a general introduction to water supply and sanitation situations in rural areas, small towns and rural growth centres as well as peri-urban and urban slums. It then presents the water supply systems including all their components, from source selection, abstraction, through treatment and supply/delivery to consumers. Also covered include the safe water chain as well as the system and risk assessment approach, giving rise to the concept of water safety plans. The course describes the various sanitation systems and their components, namely, conventional wastewater treatment, faecal sludge management, Ecological sanitation concepts, reuse of wastewater, excreta and grey water, Low-cost sewerage and drainage. Finally, the course presents management aspects of DWSS that include participatory planning and evaluation of DWSS systems, Multi-criteria decision support systems (MCDSS) in planning, financing and cost recovery, institutional arrangements and operation and maintenance aspects.

Objectives

The main objective of the course is to equip graduate students with theoretical background and practical expertise in the field of low-cost decentralised water supply and sanitation alternatives specifically suitable for the small towns, peri-urban areas and urban slums, small island communities, tourist resorts etc.

The specific objectives are to enable students to:

  • be familiar with different technologies/methods for small-scale water abstraction, water treatment and sustainable sanitation technologies including nutrient reuse in agriculture.
  • be able to prepare a basic engineering or concept design for the above mentioned technologies under the given conditions.
  • be able to facilitate planning, financing, implementation and operation and maintenance of decentralised water supply and sanitation infrastructures based on stakeholder participation and community management.
Attachment Name Attachment Type
CIV 7260 Decentralised Water Supply and Sanitation DOC PDF PS