ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT
Portable Sanitation Association International News
BIWEEKLY EDITION SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
Page 2 Continued on page 16
ISO Publishes New Standard for Fecal Sludge Treatment Units…continued from page 1
Why is ISO 31800 Significant to Achieve Better Global Sanitation?
ISO 31800:2020, Faecal sludge
treatment units—Energy independent,
prefabricated, community-scale,
resource recovery units—Safety and
performance requirements, contains
specific requirements and test methods
to ensure safety, performance, and
sustainability of prefabricated fecal
sludge treatment units that can serve
approximately 1,000 to 100,000 people.
The standard is significant as it helps
to provide a solution to the global
sanitation problem. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, worldwide, 780 million
people do not have access to an
improved water source. Moreover, an estimated 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, accounting
for more than 35 percent of the world's population. Despite the dire stats, breakthroughs are possible: The CDC
also reports that water, sanitation, and hygiene has
the potential to prevent at least 9.1 percent of the
global disease burden and 6.3 percent of all deaths.
To that end, ISO 31800 meets one of the UN
Sustainable Development Goals, which, as a whole,
serve as a universal call to action to end poverty,
protect the planet, and ensure that all people
enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. In particular,
ISO 31800 contributes to SDG 6 (Clean Water and
Sanitation), as it helps ensure safety, performance,
and sustainability for safer sanitation. Ultimately,
prefabricated fecal sludge treatment units will
help to improve human living conditions, reduce
air and water pollution, and reduce the emissions
of greenhouse
gases for a more
sustainable future.
Mr. Sun Kim of the
U.S., chair and convener of the ISO PC 318 Working Group, noted: "In a number
of developing countries, a main sewer system that safely treats and removes
human waste just doesn't exist and may not be economically viable."
"These stand-alone units can be a more practical alternative. What's more, they
not only safely treat the waste but turn it into vital resources such as clean water.
Internationally agreed guidelines on safety, quality, and performance will support
the further development and use of this technology, providing benchmarks and
instilling confidence in governments, operators, and investors."
Part of the group that worked on the standard in Dakar, Senegal
January 2018. PSAI Executive Director Karleen Kos is center
front in blue. The group is posed in front of an omni processor
prototype created by Janicki (see how it works above right).
Mr. Sun Kim, chair and convener of
the ISO PC 318 Working Group