Various sanitation technologies are utilized globally, each varying in cost, suitability, adaptability, and user satisfaction. In Kenya, on-site sanitation is predominant with technologies such as septic tanks, biogas latrines, composting or dehydrating toilets, and pit latrines being common. Among these, pit latrines are widely adopted due to their affordability. Other sanitation solutions are less popular due to high construction and maintenance costs, posing barriers to access to safe sanitation.

In 2020, the 1^st Santech Hackathon was launched by Finish Mondial aiming to foster innovations in design, novel choice of materials used, new processes, and any other components that will help to reduce the cost of a sanitation system. This was based on the premise that amongst other factors, lack of sanitation coverage (in rural populations of developing countries), is due to a lack of innovation on cost reductions, to make them more accessible to the masses.

Opero-Services came up with a winning innovation – a vetiver latrine that replaces the traditional pit with PVC barrels and Vetiver grass. To validate the concept, a pilot was set up by Finish Mondial in collaboration with Opero-Services in Busia, Kenya, and monitored for 6 months to understand the performance of the innovation. 

Vetiver Latrine in Busia -Kenya

The vetiver green latrine derives its name from vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) –  a perennial bunchgrass of the Poaceae family, native to India The grass has “super absorbent” characteristics suitable for the disposal of leachate and effluent. Its usefulness in treating polluted wastewater lies in its capacity to quickly absorb nutrients and heavy metals, and its tolerance to elevated levels of these elements.

The vetiver latrine has 3 salient innovative features that allow fecal waste to be safely contained and treated.

• A Sato pan which is a toilet pan that has a mechanical seal that closes off preventing the transmission of insects or gasses. 
• A two-barrel septic system eliminates the need for a septic tank or pit by allowing solids to settle to the bottom, where microorganisms decompose them and the leachate flows to the vetiver bed. 
• A Vetiver bed which is a lined bed planted with vetiver grass that polishes the effluent eliminating the need for a processing facility. 

To determine the suitability and the applicability of this technology, a pilot has been set up & is still operational in Busia, Kenya. Findings from running the study have shown that: 

• There are reduced capex & opex costs when using this form of sanitation. The total cost of materials used in constructing the vetiver latrine (without the toilet superstructure ) was found to be $185.
• There is a high level of usability of the vetiver latrine in rural settings. No odor, maintenance, or excreta handling issues that have been cited since setting up the pilot
• There is reduced risk of groundwater contamination as the grass polishes the effluent and there is a significant reduction in the wastewater parameters. These findings show that the quality of leachate discharged to the ground is much better compared to traditional pit latrines

Next steps

In 2024, Opero Services has partnered with the Western Kenya Sanitation Project to provide training to increase the capacities of local artisans on how to construct green latrine toilets, showcase the technology through 4 demo sites, and prove the market potential by selling at least 40 vetiver green toilets

This collaboration marks a pivotal step in our journey towards commercialization of this product, serving as a critical phase where we validate both the product and the business model.