Public-Private Partnership for Innovative Waste Management
Summary
As Dakar's population is increasing, there is a greater need for more efficient fecal sludge management. Pit latrines are commonly used across the city and need to be emptied at least twice a year due to shallow groundwater levels. Previously, emptying trucks were expensive; however, in 2010, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the design of an omni processor that would allow for waste collection and processing to be turned into a business opportunity via a public-private partnership.
The Janicki Omni Processor (JOP) turns wet sewerage into potable water, electricity, and non-toxic ash that can be used for fertilizer or building materials. Overall, the project has been very successful in Dakar, however, replicating this initiative in other contexts would require considerable technical and financial resources to get the project off the ground.
As a coastal city, Dakar is facing significant water security challenges that are the result of a growing urban population and a changing climate. More specifically, the city's demographics are changing as more individuals move from rural areas to the urban centre in search of better opportunities, which has contributed to a considerable increase in informal settlements that do not have access to adequate water quality and supply management and sanitation services (IWA, n.d.). In lower-income neighbourhoods across the city, around 96% of households use on-site sanitation which usually involves pit latrines located at the individual household level and, due to the shallow groundwater levels, the latrines need to be emptied frequently (Speak Up Africa, 2018). However, residents are often unable to access emptying trucks and, given the weak competition within the sector, the cost of emptying is beyond the reach of the majority of the population that lives on less than USD 2/day (Speak Up Africa, 2018). This forces residents to resort to manual emptying, which poses serious health and environmental ramifications (Speak Up Africa, 2018).
Intervention
In 2010, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the design of an omni processor that would allow for waste collection and processing to be turned into a business opportunity (Cashman, 2020). An omni processor is an alternative to traditional sewerage management, yielding byproducts from fecal sludge, including electricity, clean water, and ash that can be used as fertilizer or in the manufacturing of breeze blocks for construction (IWA, n.d.). In 2015, a pilot project was set up called the Janicki Omni Processor (JOP) through a public-private partnership between the Foundation, the National Office of Sanitation of Senegal (ONAS), and Delvic Sanitation Initiatives (a local sanitation company) (Cashman, 2020).
The JOP works similar to a steam power plant, an incinerator, and a water filtration system combined. The wet sewerage enters the plant first, is boiled and then separated into dry solids and water vapour. The incinerator burns the dry solids, producing a high-pressure steam. The steam helps to drive a steam engine which, via a generator, produces electricity that powers the processor. The steam is condensed back into water and is filtered multiple times, turning it into pure, distilled water, suitable for drinking (Cashman, 2020). The omni processor is self-sustaining and also generates enough electricity which can be distributed elsewhere (Cashman, 2020). Solids left by the boiler, a non-toxic ash, can then be used as fertilizer or building materials (Cashman, 2020).
As part of the partnership with the Gates Foundation, the ONAS created the Program for the Structuring of the Fecal Sludge Market (PSFSM) with dual aims to provide high-quality, inexpensive mechanical emptying services to consumers while also increasing the incomes of professional emptiers (Speak Up Africa, 2018). When a customer calls the PSFSM call centre and requests latrine emptying at a particular place, date, and time, emptiers submit quotes through SMS messages and, once the bidding process is over, the lowest bidder and customer are notified and the service is confirmed (Speak Up Africa, 2018). The PSFSM also includes a guarantee fund to promote the development of the fecal sludge industry, and companies are provided with greater access to credit so they can improve their trucks and equipment and obtain proper licenses and certifications (Speak Up Africa, 2018).
Challenges
While the omni processor is targeted as a waste management solution for developing countries, the project is highly technical, requiring the expertise of trained professionals, and expensive. This makes it necessary to adapt established technologies to suit the context in which they are being implemented.
Outcomes
The JOP has seen great success in Dakar. Even though there is no requirement for piped sewerage infrastructure, the JOP can treat the fecal sludge of 50,000 to 100,000 people (Hope, 2016). The plant also provides potable water for 500,000 people and produces 4.2MW of power, enough to power 350,000 households (Janicki, 2015). Moreover, because the responsibility for fecal sludge management plants was handed over to the private sector, there has been considerable support for the renovation of facilities, improvement of maintenance and operations, increased administrative organization, more marketing of dried sludge byproducts, and greater profitability overall (Speak Up Africa, 2018).
References
Public-Private Partnership for Innovative Waste Management
Summary
As Dakar's population is increasing, there is a greater need for more efficient fecal sludge management. Pit latrines are commonly used across the city and need to be emptied at least twice a year due to shallow groundwater levels. Previously, emptying trucks were expensive; however, in 2010, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the design of an omni processor that would allow for waste collection and processing to be turned into a business opportunity via a public-private partnership.
The Janicki Omni Processor (JOP) turns wet sewerage into potable water, electricity, and non-toxic ash that can be used for fertilizer or building materials. Overall, the project has been very successful in Dakar, however, replicating this initiative in other contexts would require considerable technical and financial resources to get the project off the ground.
As a coastal city, Dakar is facing significant water security challenges that are the result of a growing urban population and a changing climate. More specifically, the city's demographics are changing as more individuals move from rural areas to the urban centre in search of better opportunities, which has contributed to a considerable increase in informal settlements that do not have access to adequate water quality and supply management and sanitation services (IWA, n.d.). In lower-income neighbourhoods across the city, around 96% of households use on-site sanitation which usually involves pit latrines located at the individual household level and, due to the shallow groundwater levels, the latrines need to be emptied frequently (Speak Up Africa, 2018). However, residents are often unable to access emptying trucks and, given the weak competition within the sector, the cost of emptying is beyond the reach of the majority of the population that lives on less than USD 2/day (Speak Up Africa, 2018). This forces residents to resort to manual emptying, which poses serious health and environmental ramifications (Speak Up Africa, 2018).
Issue
Intervention
In 2010, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the design of an omni processor that would allow for waste collection and processing to be turned into a business opportunity (Cashman, 2020). An omni processor is an alternative to traditional sewerage management, yielding byproducts from fecal sludge, including electricity, clean water, and ash that can be used as fertilizer or in the manufacturing of breeze blocks for construction (IWA, n.d.). In 2015, a pilot project was set up called the Janicki Omni Processor (JOP) through a public-private partnership between the Foundation, the National Office of Sanitation of Senegal (ONAS), and Delvic Sanitation Initiatives (a local sanitation company) (Cashman, 2020).
The JOP works similar to a steam power plant, an incinerator, and a water filtration system combined. The wet sewerage enters the plant first, is boiled and then separated into dry solids and water vapour. The incinerator burns the dry solids, producing a high-pressure steam. The steam helps to drive a steam engine which, via a generator, produces electricity that powers the processor. The steam is condensed back into water and is filtered multiple times, turning it into pure, distilled water, suitable for drinking (Cashman, 2020). The omni processor is self-sustaining and also generates enough electricity which can be distributed elsewhere (Cashman, 2020). Solids left by the boiler, a non-toxic ash, can then be used as fertilizer or building materials (Cashman, 2020).
As part of the partnership with the Gates Foundation, the ONAS created the Program for the Structuring of the Fecal Sludge Market (PSFSM) with dual aims to provide high-quality, inexpensive mechanical emptying services to consumers while also increasing the incomes of professional emptiers (Speak Up Africa, 2018). When a customer calls the PSFSM call centre and requests latrine emptying at a particular place, date, and time, emptiers submit quotes through SMS messages and, once the bidding process is over, the lowest bidder and customer are notified and the service is confirmed (Speak Up Africa, 2018). The PSFSM also includes a guarantee fund to promote the development of the fecal sludge industry, and companies are provided with greater access to credit so they can improve their trucks and equipment and obtain proper licenses and certifications (Speak Up Africa, 2018).
Challenges
While the omni processor is targeted as a waste management solution for developing countries, the project is highly technical, requiring the expertise of trained professionals, and expensive. This makes it necessary to adapt established technologies to suit the context in which they are being implemented.
Outcomes
The JOP has seen great success in Dakar. Even though there is no requirement for piped sewerage infrastructure, the JOP can treat the fecal sludge of 50,000 to 100,000 people (Hope, 2016). The plant also provides potable water for 500,000 people and produces 4.2MW of power, enough to power 350,000 households (Janicki, 2015). Moreover, because the responsibility for fecal sludge management plants was handed over to the private sector, there has been considerable support for the renovation of facilities, improvement of maintenance and operations, increased administrative organization, more marketing of dried sludge byproducts, and greater profitability overall (Speak Up Africa, 2018).
Issues |
|---|
Water Pollution and Contamination |
Solutions |
|---|
Wastewater Management & Reuse |
References
The biogenic refinery - biomass controls. Biomass Controls. (n.d.). https://biomasscontrols.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Flyer_BiogenicRefinery_May22.pdf
Cashman, K. (2020, January 1). The Omni Processor: Turning sewage into drinking water in Senegal (and beyond?). Reset.org. https://en.reset.org/reinventing-toilet-piloting-janicki-omni-processor-dakar-senegal-01072020/
Dakar. International Water Association (IWA). (n.d.). https://iwa-network.org/city/dakar/
Gates, B. (2015, August 11). Update: What ever happened to the machine that turns feces into water?. Gates Notes. https://www.gatesnotes.com/Omni-Processor-Update
Hope, K. (2016, November 16). The firms turning poo into profit. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-37981485
Janicki, P. (2015). The Omni Processor. Stockholm International Water Institute. https://siwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/peter-janicki.pdf
Senegal’s innovations in sanitation offer the world a way forward. Speak Up Africa. (2018, November 6). https://www.speakupafrica.org/2017-3-2-senegals-innovations-in-sanitation-offer-the-world-a-way-forward/