REPORT & RECOMMENDATIONSFOR
2ND DUDES-SNV-JSC JOINT ASSESSMENT
for Three Small Towns in Bhutan
Chhukha district – Tsimasham, Tsimalakha and Gedu Towns
SANITATION AND HYGIENE FOR ALL – SMALL TOWN PROGRAM(17-26 AUGUST 2011)

1ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The second assessment of the three towns of Tsimasham, Tsimalakha and Gedu under
Chhukha Dzongkhag was jointly carried out by Department of Urban Development andEngineering Services (DUDES), Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and Japan
Sanitation Consortium (JSC). This second assessment report represents the developmentof interventions and operationalisation of the Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All(SSH4A) in Small Towns for ALL Programme. It is based on the first stakeholders meetingwith Dzongkhag and Municipal officials, institutions, private individuals, site visits, otherdiscussions and observations. DUDES and SNV will use relevant components of the reportin the development of the programme.
The team would like to thank Mr. Rinchen Dorji, Director, DUDES for the guidance heprovided to the team and making available his staff time for the second assessment in the
person of Ms. Dechen Yangdon. The team would like to acknowledge all the cooperationand support received from the Dzongkhag Administration of Chhukha, Municipal authoritiesof the three towns the team visited, participants from the three towns (building/shop owners),
School authority of Chhukha Higher Secondary school and college authority of Gedu
College of Commerce and Business Studies, National Environment Commission and theCity Corporation of Thimphu.

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ACRONYMS
ADB: Asia Development Bank
ADPO: Assistant District Planning Officer
BPC: Bhutan Power Corporation Limited
Dasho Dzongda: Dzongkhag Administrator
Dasho Dzongrab: Deputy Dzongkhag Administrator
DHO: District Health Officer
DUDES: Department of Urban Development & Engineering Services
Dzongkhag: District
JSC: Japan Sanitation Consortium
MoH: Ministry of Health
MoWHS: Ministry of Works & Human Settlement
NEC: National Environment Commission
O&M: Operation & maintenance
RGoB: Royal Government of Bhutan
SNV: Netherlands Development Organisation
TCC: Thimphu City Corporation
UISD: Urban Infrastructure Service Division

3

TABLE OF CONTENTSPAGE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………...…………………………………………………

2

ACRONYMS……………………………………………………………………………

3

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………..

5

1. SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………….

6

2. FINDINGS…………………………………………………………………………………….

7

2.1

ON-SITE SANITATION – SEPTIC TANKS…………………………………….

7

2.2

GREY WATER DRAINAGE…………………………………………………..

14

2.3

OFF-SITE SANITATION – SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT IN GEDU………….

15

2.4

FURTHER FINDINGS………………………………………….……………..

19

2.4.1

Consultation with Communities……………………………….

19

2.4.2

Search for Potential Sludge Disposal Sites………………….

20

2.4.3

Learning from Septage Management in Thimphu…………..

20

3. RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………………………………………………..

23

3.1

3.2

SEPTIC TANK IMPROVEMENT.................................................................
3.1.1
General Recommendations to Improve Septic Tank
Structure and Treatment Efficiency…………………………..
3.1.2
Water Usage with Toilets………………………………………

23

3.1.3

Sludge Management…………………………………………..

24

3.1.3.1 Sludge Collection and Transport…………………..

24

3.1.3.2 Sludge Treatment: Methods and Disposal Options25

3.1.3.3 Septage Management: Service Organization……

28

SEWERAGE SYSTEM……………………………………………………….

29

3.2.1
3.2.2

Revival of the Sewage Treatment Plant in Gedu
and Consideration for Future Expansion…………………….
Consideration for Sewer System Implementationin Tsimasham/Tsimalakha……………………………………..

23
23

29
32

3.3

IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC TOILET FACILITIES………………………….

32

3.4

IMPROVEMENT OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM……………………………….

32

3.5

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR UNTREATED WASTEWATER DISCHARGE

33

4. NEXT STEPS………………………………………………………………………………...

33

ANNEX ATOR FOR JSC 2ND TECHNICAL VISIT – 17TH- 26TH AUGUST 2011…....…..

35

ANNEX BSUSTAINABLE SANITATION AND HYGIENE FOR ALL – SMALL TOWNS..…

41

ANNEX CMEMBER LIST OF DZONGKHAG ADMINISTRATION OF CHHUKHADZONGKHAG MEETING…………………………………………………….

43

4

INTRODUCTION
The 1st joint assessment mission between DUDES-SNV-JSC has been conducted from 8 to
17 May 2011, as an initial step for the development of the Sustainable Sanitation andHygiene for All – Small Town Programme, aiming to enhance access to improved
environmentally safe sanitation and improved hygiene practices for 9,500 people in 3 small
towns in the Chukka district by mid-2013 (Annex B). For this new programme, three small
towns of the Chhukha district have been selected: Tsimasham, Tsimalakha and Gedu.
Following this assessment mission, a report has been made, submitted, and discussed with
MoWHS-DUDES and later with the Chhukha district, during the 1st stakeholder meeting heldon 18 August 2011. From the comments and opinions that have been expressed, a list ofpriority targets have been agreed, which served as the base for the 2nd assessment mission,organized from 17 to 26 August 2011 (please refer to TOR in Annex A). The key activities tofollow up in terms of addressing the recommendations were:•Contribute to the stakeholder workshop in collaboration with SNV, MoWHS and the
Chhukha district in terms of developing a list of priorities and prioritized areas in towns
for sanitation improvement and prepare a Work Plan, including sanitation targets and aschedule for implementation•

Assess how to organize septage management, including the financing, regulation andselection of sites for treatment and the feasibility of involving the private sector•

Understand in further detail the actual legal and institutional structure for sanitation•

Provide technical advice to the team in terms of the planning of sanitation mapping to
be undertaken as part of the baseline process in September 2011

Apart from the field assessment, two meetings with local communities, including shop
keepers and building owners have been organized to gather information on their sanitation
conditions and issues they might face, as well as their willingness to pay for sanitation andmore specifically for septage management.
After the field assessment, a final meeting was organized with the Chhukha districtauthorities, and a few days later at MoWHS-DUDES, to present the findings andrecommendations of this second assessment mission, collect opinions and more detailed
information on the desired way to tackle the priorities agreed for the Sustainable Sanitationand Hygiene for All – Small Town Programme.

5In addition to the field assessment, the way in which septage management is conducted in
Thimphu has been observed to gather information, build on the strengths of the existing
system and learn from potential issues for the organization of septage management in thethree targeted towns of the Chhukha district.

1. SCOPE AND METHODOLOGYTeam Members:•

Mr. Kinley Penjor, WASH Advisor, SNV•

Ms. Tashi Yetsho, WASH Advisor, SNV•

Mr. Hiroyuki Kato, On-site Sanitation Expert, JSC•

Mr. Pierre Flamand, Survey Staff, JSC

From the priority targets agreed in the stakeholder meeting held on the 18 August 2011, this
2nd assessment focused on measures to protect public health. This more specifically
includes the preparation of septage management and how can be integrated otherwastewater management systems, such as the sewage treatment plant in Gedu, or systems
to overcome the lack of wastewater management for example in informal settlements. As in
the 1st assessment mission, one of the goals of this mission was to propose different options
for on-site sanitation improvement, which comprise alternatives to conventional piped
sewerage.
More specifically, the following activities were conducted:●

2nd assessment for sanitation improvement in three small towns – Tshimasham,
Tsimalakha and Gedu – as part of the Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All –Small Town Programme, supplemented by visits to different sites and meetings in
Thimphu●

Meeting with the Dzongkhag administration of Chhukha Dzongkhag which consistedof Dasho Dzongrab, municipal engineers, head of environmental division and legal,building inspectors, and district health officer (refer to Annex C). Consultation
meetings with community leaders, building owners and shop keepers. Other visits in
Thimphu, included meetings with MoWHS-DUDES, delegates from the National
Environment Commission , and Thimphu City Corporation (meeting with the heads
6

of the Sewerage and Water Supply Sections, and observation of desludging
operations)●

Visits to assess available options for sludge disposal: the Alikha incinerator in Gedu
and other potential sites in Gedu and Tsimasham. Interview with operators ofsewage treatment plants and from the Thimphu City Corporation●

Two meetings with building owners and shop keepers organized in Gedu (20 August2011) and Tsimalakha (22 August 2011)1●

Visitstohouseholds,

includinginformalsettlements

andcollegehostels/accommodations●

Visits to institutions: the Tsimalakha Hospital, shops, restaurants, offices, theChhukha Higher Secondary School. Interview with householders, shops keepers,
restaurant owners, a school principal and vice-principal, and doctors●

Review of documentation on sanitation edited by the Royal Government of Bhutan(including the Water and Sanitation Rules, the Code of Practice for Sanitation, theAnnual Health Bulletin 2010, the Environmental Discharge Standard 2010, and theSolid Waste Draft), and standard designs used for the construction of septic tanks in
new buildings●

Gathering of available maps for Tsimasham, Tsimalakha and Gedu (including plans
made by town officials during the 1st Stakeholder Meeting)

2. FINDINGS
2.1 ON-SITE SANITATION - SEPTIC TANKS
In the preparation process for the implementation of septage management, one of thetargets of this 2nd mission was to further assess septic tanks and visually check the level andtype of sludge accumulated. The first step of this assessment was to obtain the standard
design that is used by district and municipal engineers to check and approve the design ofthe septic tanks that will be constructed with new buildings. This verification enabled ourteam to understand that, except for the 150 users-type, the capacity for the different scalesof septic tanks is insufficient. In the field, the visualization of the plan of a septic tank builtwith a new construction in Gedu also indicated that the structure design was different than
1 There were approximately 40 participants including 5 females from Tsimalakha/Tsimasham towns, andabout 20 participants including 7 females from Gedu town.

7

what has been presented by the engineers in Chhukha. Indeed, the plan showed a septictank with two compartments, contrasting with the standard design provided in Chhukha
which included one small baffle wall. The number of users noted in the plan – thirty-five –was also not recorded among the standard number of users in the plan provided by the
Chhukha authorities (although the constructions in Gedu are supervised by the same
Chhukha district and municipal engineers/building inspectors). On the other hand, ourcalculation indicated that the capacity of the septic tank was far too small to serve thirty-five
users. This highlights the need for standardizing septic tank design and making sure that all
new constructions follow rigorously the same standards. This also adds to another issue thathas regularly been mentioned to our team, which is the difference between the approved
design (from the municipal engineer) and what is actually constructed. Due to the lack ofremaining space in house plots, it appears that the implemented septic tanks are often
smaller than they should be.

Figure 1: Standard design for septic tanks in Chhukha
districtFigure 2: Septic tank design for a new building in
Gedu

Table 1: Comparison between actual capacities of septic tanks and recommended capacities
Number of users

Actual capacity

Recommended capacity

50.56 m³

1.5 m³100.90 m³

2 m³

15

1.4 m³

2.5 m³20

2.0 m³3 m³50

4.5 m³6 m³150

16.6 m³

16 m³

8Many of the septic tanks seen in the field could not be checked. Either the structure did notallow any visual inspection (e.g. a parking lot was constructed above one of the septic tanks),or the facilities were at a location difficult to access, sometimes even impossible, due to thesteepness of the land or due to the presence of abundant vegetation.

Figure 3: Difficult access to septic tanks

In most of the tanks that could be observed, sludge was accumulated up to the manhole
cover level, even, for example, for a house that has been occupied for only six months.

Figure 4: Accumulated sludge in septic tanks

Among the septic tanks opened and visually checked, one tank stood as an exception. The
first compartment did not contain any sludge but a rather high ratio of liquid. It was found outthat the sludge did not remain in this compartment and the lay of scum was rather thin.
Different reasons could explain this result. Firstly, it has been observed that cistern flush
toilets contain a rather high quantity of water (approximately 15 liters). Consequently, this,combined with the small size of the compartments inside the septic tank, prevents sludge
from settling in the bottom of the tank and results in sludge being discharged with theeffluent. The amount of sludge found in the discharge pipe of this tank, blocked at the time of
the inspection, confirmed the theory that part or more of the sludge is discharged with theeffluent. In addition, discussions with the householders indicated that toilets are in somecases used to dispose the water used for laundry. Even if it is unclear whether this is a
widespread practice or not, this excess of water combined with the small capacity of the9septic tank can potentially increase the phenomenon of sludge not settling inside thecompartments. In that case, it would be useful to reduce the quantity of water stored incistern flush toilets, and to educate communities on the proper usage of water with toilets.

Figure 5: Opening of a sealed septic tank

Figure 6: Absence of sludge observed in one septic tank

Figure 7: Discharge pipe of septic tank with accumulated sludge (unclogged by the assessment team)

One of the issues found in the field was that it was particularly difficult to locate or see thedischarge pipe of the septic tanks, whether they were connected to a leach pit/soak pit ornot. In fact, the discharge pipe is very often buried into the ground and impossible to access.
This prevents from assessing the discharge effluent and checking water quality, and makes
maintenance operations difficult when the discharge pipe is blocked. As for the few
discharge pipes that could be inspected visually, the diameter appeared small, which can
10potentially lead to regular blockages.
The three towns that were assessed for the programme have different profiles. Due to its
strategic location on the highway connecting Thimphu to Phuentsholing, Gedu is a town withmany shops and restaurants connected to a septic tank. The same conditions apply to
Tsimasham; the lower town of Chhukha (to be officially recognized as a municipality by theparliament of Bhutan in the near future). However, Tsimalakha, the upper town of Chhukha,shows a very different profile with an important number of informal settlements (mainly
shops) and households that are not connected to a septic tank or any wastewater treatment
system.

Figure 8: Households and shops in Tsimasham

Figure 9: Shops in Gedu

Figure 10: Households in Tsimalakha not connected to a wastewater treatment system

11Figure 11: Discharge of untreated wastewater in Tsimalakha

The most worrying areas were found in the BPC colony and the downstream settlements,
and a few households closely located to the Chhukha Higher Secondary School. Unsanitaryconditions – associating not only wastewater management but also solid waste
management – were observed at the BPC colony with buildings connected to overloaded
and overflowing septic tanks, or not connected at all (broken connections). This results in
untreated wastewater from toilets (black water) being discharged somewhere between the
BPC buildings and the settlements at close location downstream (only separated by a road).

Figure 12: Unsanitary conditions at the BPC colony (Tsimalakha)

12

Figure 13: Opening of septic tanks in Tsimalakha (BPC colony)
Figure 14: Overloadof sludge in septic tank

Figure 15: Empty
septic tank

Figure 16: Broken connection between a BPC building to a septic tank downstream

In some areas of Tsimalakha, grey water flowing from the BPC colony was also foundpassing next to few households located downstream, adding health threats to thishazardous situation (it has been indicated to our team that this area is where most of thediarrhea cases are accounted in Chhukha).

Figure 17: Passage of grey water from the
BPC colony through downstream settlements

Figure 18: Repair of leakin water supply pipe

A few houses located upstream of the Chhukha Higher Secondary School also were ofconcern, as none of these were connected to a wastewater treatment system and were
having untreated wastewater infiltrating the ground despite close vicinity to the school. Thisis a serious public health problem that could have a significant impact on students’ health, as
13the water supply network passing in this area can get contaminated if water pipes leak.

Figure 19: Houses without septic tanks upstream Chhukha Higher Secondary School

Figure 20: Chhukha Higher Secondary School

Figure 21: Distance between upstream
houses and Chhukha Higher Secondary School

The next steps for assessment will be to precisely map all the septic tanks of the threetargeted towns, and to collect information about their capacity, the number of users, theconnection to a soak pit or other ground filtration system (if applying); to check where isdischarged the effluent, where it goes as well as grey water, and assess potential impact towater users located downstream. Another target will also be to monitor the water quality of
septic tanks effluent and to analyze samples of surface water and water supply taken fromdifferent areas of the towns.

2.2 GREY WATER DRAINAGE
It has been observed in some areas of Tsimasham and Tsimalakha that, due to faulty drains,
grey water was sometimes passing through the garden of houses or stagnating next to few
households located downstream. For example, and as explained previously, grey water
regularly flows across a few shop keepers’ houses located downstream the BPC colony.
This is naturally a potential health threat to the populations living nearby, especially children.
Consequently, drains in the three targeted towns of the programme need to be thoroughly
checked to ensure that grey water is properly collected and drained, as well as stormwater
14

during rainfall events.

Figure 22: Improper drainage of grey water

2.3 OFF-SITE SANITATION - SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT IN GEDU
Figure 22: Plan of the sewage treatment plant in Gedu

Figure 23: View of the sewage treatment plant

The sewage treatment plant of Gedu was implemented to serve the buildings built for the
Tala Hydropower Project infrastructure. Currently, this system covers the student
accommodations, the hospital of Gedu and the Gedu College of Commerce and BusinessStudies. This plant is not a municipal property and has been handed over to the Gedu
College when the organization in charge of the Tala Hydropower Project stopped managing
this facility and its associated sewer network.

15

Figure 24: Inlet of the
sewage treatment plant

Figure 25: Student accommodations in Gedu
(connected to the sewage treatment plant)

Figure 26: Accumulation of toilet waste
due to blocked sewer pipes

Figure 27: Grey water
overflowing from inlet

Figure 28: Sewer inspection chambers blocked due to the absence of maintenance

While the current number of users is unclear and will need to be further assessed (probably
much more than 1,000 users as the College itself gathers 1,500 students), wastewater ispresently not reaching the plant. Although a detailed assessment of the sewer network will
be needed to identify why wastewater is not conveyed to the plant and where it goes, a
discussion with local communities indicated that some of the inspection chambers of the16sewer network were blocked with garbage. These inspection chambers were previously
maintained by the staffs of the Tala Hydropower Project but nobody has continued this work
since they left (about two years ago). A visual check of one of the inspection chambers
confirmed this statement. In addition, a visit to student accommodations also showed thatsewer pipes were blocked, as toilet wastewater was accumulating in the sewer outlet next tothe building. It is urgent to find where goes the wastewater of the buildings connected to thesewage treatment plant, as this poses a serious health threat to the population. It is crucial
to thoroughly assess the sewer network to evaluate the state of the pipes, identify and repair
damaged pipes, if any.
All electrical equipment of the sewage treatment plant has been tried out and is in working
condition (i.e. the rotors of the two oxidation ditches, the scraper bridge of the sedimentation
tank, and the dewatering machine). However, some parts of the plant would need repair,such as one of the oxidation ditch structure – showing cracks from wear – and the leaking
pipe connecting the sedimentation tank to the dewatering machine. Furthermore, as theplant has not been used for the last two years, it would be beneficial to conduct a thoroughmaintenance check of the whole facility.

Figure 29: Issues with oxidation ditch design (below right)

A more detailed assessment of the plant showed issues that will require construction work,
maintenance and repair. Firstly, one of the oxidation ditches has a problem that originatesfrom the design of the plant. Indeed, the outlet pipe of the ditch connected to thesedimentation tank has been constructed at a too low level (see above). For that reason, the17rotor is not in sufficient contact with wastewater when operated and does not effectively
aerate it. Another (less critical) design issue concerns the overflow weir of the sedimentation
tank, which is not entirely flat. Consequently, during operations, wastewater overflows
mainly from the two parts that are located at the lowest elevation, thus decreasing the time
for sedimentation and the quality of treatment. Measures to improve wastewater treatment
quality will be explained in the recommendation part.

Figure 30: Actual screening systemat the sewage treatment plant

Figure 31: Irregular flow removal at
the periphery of the sedimentation tank

Figure 32: Maintenance issue
with the dewatering machine

Figure 33: Cracks in the
structure of one oxidation ditch

During this 2nd assessment mission in Bhutan, local communities in Gedu and MoWHS
expressed their interest in increasing the sewer connections and in serving the rest of thetown with the sewerage system. In order to do so, the existing wastewater treatment
capacity would naturally need to be developed. Therefore, along with the visit of Gedu’s
sewage treatment plant, a visual assessment was made to estimate if the existing plot of theplant and the available space around would be sufficient to accommodate the constructionof a new sewage treatment plant next to the existing one, or the disassembling and theconstruction of a new plant with increased capacity on the site of the existing one. In bothcases, it appears that enough space would be at disposal.

18

2.3 FURTHER FINDINGS
2.4.1 CONSULTATION WITH COMMUNITIESFigure 34: Meetings with shop keepers and building owners in Gedu and Tsimalakha

A meeting with building owners and shop keepers has been organized in Gedu (20August 2011) and in Tsimalakha (22 August 2011). The main goals of these meetings
were to know communities’ opinion about septage management and evaluate their
willingness to pay a regular charge for this service. They also allowed our team to
identify other issues than the ones observed during the assessment in the field. About
forty participants from Tsimasham/Tsimalakha, including five women, gathered in themeeting in Tsimalakha; and about twenty participants, including seven women, attended
the meeting in Gedu.
In Gedu, the communities showed a strong desire to be connected to the seweragesystem, as they do not know how to handle the problems experienced with their septictank which sometimes emits odor, overflows and is the cause of disputes between
neighbors. They are willing to pay for the expansion of the sewerage system (up to 40 to
50,000 ngultrum) if the government provides assistance, as they cannot finance thesystem by themselves, and if this plan is sustainable in the long-term. However, they arealso afraid of maintenance issues with the sewer pipeline, especially during the monsoon
season.
For septage management and from what they have heard in Phuentsholing, they are
worried that, even if they pay for septage management, the system would not function
properly, for instance with the truck not coming on time. Concerns were also raised
regarding the fact that the charge for such system might grow with the increase of thegasoline price.
Finally, the communities mentioned that they did not have much awareness on hygiene
and sanitation, but that if they would be provided the opportunity, they would be willing tolearn.
19

Tsimasham/Tsimalakha communities also mentioned about the problems encounteredwith their septic tank (overflow, odors, etc.) and their incapacity to solve them. Some ofthe people attending the meeting said that they sometimes employ Indian workers toempty their septic tank when full.
Although communities were not against the idea, the charge for septage management
was one of their worries, as they mentioned that they would not be able to contribute asmuch as communities do in Thimphu or Phuentsholing. As Gedu, they also expressedsome interest for sewerage but in a less determined manner.
During this meeting, shop keepers from Tsimasham requested the construction of public
toilets to lower the load on their own facilities. Numerous questions on how sludge would
be treated showed communities interest in the organization of septage management.
Among the options that have been introduced, they were really enthusiastic about theutilization of compost sludge as a fertilizer.

2.4.2 SEARCH FOR POTENTIAL SLUDGE DISPOSAL SITES
Potential sites for sludge disposal have been searched and visited in Gedu andTsimalakha/Tsimasham. Among the places that have been observed, the topography anddifficulty of access of some sites were obvious challenges. One site in Gedu and in
Tsimasham had an access road, and only the site in Tsimasham had a flat land and thepotential for receiving a sludge treatment facility without heavy preliminary construction
work.

2.4.3 LEARNING FROM SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT IN THIMPHU
To prepare the organization of septage management in Gedu, Tsimasham and Tsimalakha,
the SNV and JSC teams visited the Thimphu City Corporation in charge of on-site andoff-site sanitation management, as well as water supply, in the capital city. A consultation
meeting with the heads of the Sewerage and Water Supply Sections indicated that about
70% of the population in Thimphu is connected to a septic tank and 30% to the seweragesystem (100% to the water supply network equipped with water meters). The sewer user
charge, which is applied to the buildings connected either to the sewerage system or to a
septic tank, is collected together with the water bill and accounts for 50% of it. This cost of
this charge is based on water consumption. It entitles each septic tank to be emptied once a
year (up to three trips) without extra charge. If more trips for desludging are requested, they20are charged 1,000 ngultrum per trip. As an example, it has been cited that for a septic tankof a capacity of 20 m³, the user charge is on average 120 ngultrum per month. The collectedcharge, revised annually, was reported to be sufficient to cover the costs for operation andmaintenance. No visual check of the septic tanks is conducted as a maintenance routine
operation by the City Corporation. When their septic tank is full (often noticed due to an
excess of odor or the overflow of wastewater from manhole covers), customers come to theCity Corporation and fill a form requiring the desludging operation. As many people request
to empty their septic tank and to further improve this service, which seems to be functioning
rather satisfactorily, a customer service will be created to manage demands in the near
future.
For sludge collection, three trucks are at the disposal of the Thimphu City Corporation: one
vacuum tanker (6 m³ capacity) and two cesspool trucks (3 m³ capacity). Maintenance of
these vehicles seem to be an issue, as it has been mentioned that the trucks had often to go
to the repair shop with apparently one maintenance issue occurring every two weeks. This is
obviously a significant obstacle for the management of the service (on the day of the visit,
one truck was away for repair).

Figure 35: Septic tank before desludging operationin Thimphu (visible wastewater overflow)

Figure 36: Desludging operation

Figure 37: Improper equipment (shoes) during desludging operation

21

Figure 38: Discharge of collected sludge in a sewer manhole

Figure 39: Potential danger withtraffic after discharge operations

For a cesspool truck, two or three trips are usually needed to empty the septic tank ofindividual households (bungalow type), and five or six trips for buildings. On average, about
fifty trips are conducted each month. For our team, following the desludging operation of one
building proved to be an instructive experience. If the number of operators present for thiswork was quite sufficient (three operators in addition to the driver), their equipment was lesssatisfying. Despite wearing a uniform, operators did not wear work shoes, gloves or othersafety equipments (only one operator was wearing a mask). Although three trips were made,desludging operations went quite smoothly. However, it is regrettable that the desludging
service compulsory with the sewer user charge paid monthly (without extra charge if done
once a year) is only limited to three trips. For the observed building, three trips were notenough to empty the septic tank and, as the building owner was not willing to pay for an
extra trip, the tank was left partly filled. Furthermore, what remained in the tank was the mostsolid portion of sludge, which is also the most contaminated one. By training operators,
pumping technique could improve and sludge could be collected more effectively. After
collection, sludge was discharged in a manhole of the sewer network located nearby thevisited building. This operation did not cause any issue. Nevertheless, for safety reason withroad traffic, one operator could stay on-site during the duration of the discharge operations,as the manhole cover remained open and one pipe used for sludge dumping also was left
on the street.
All these findings were important information that will help for the organization of septage
management in the three towns of the Small Town Programme.

223. RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 SEPTIC TANKS IMPROVEMENT
3.1.1

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE SEPTIC TANK STRUCTURE AND TREATMENTEFFICIENCY

For future building constructions, the capacity of the septic tanks designed for 5 to 50 users
needs to increase. This would give more time for sludge to settle in the tank, thus preventing
overflow when a high quantity of water is flushed away. This increase of capacity would also
reduce the frequency of desludging operations and the load on the cesspool truck.
Treatment efficiency could be improved by increasing the number of compartments inside
the septic tanks, and by ensuring that the approved standard design is not modified during
construction. Depending of the number of users, the standard size of the septic tanks should
be determined by regulation (to be created). This legal system would facilitate enforcement,
including the use of financial penalty or the obligation to reconstruct the septic tank(information campaigns will be needed before strict enforcement) if the implemented tank isdifferent that was has been approved by the district authorities.
Treatment efficiency could also be improved by adding a soak pit to the septic tanks. It ishighly recommended to make this as a compulsory measure in areas where the level ofwater table is high or where a well can be found at a relatively close distance, and, moregenerally, for all future constructions.

3.1.2

WATER USAGE WITH TOILETSTo ensure that septic tanks are not overloaded with an unnecessary quantity of water –which can disturb the settling process of sludge in septic tanks with inadequate capacity – itwould be beneficial to educate householders on the usage of water (where goes what andfor what result, and awareness on how wastewater is treated and why), in order to avoid
toilets to be used for the disposal of non-related water. This could be done throughcommunication campaigns (posters, publication in newspaper, radio messages, workshops,
etc.)
To reduce the quantity of water flushed into the septic tanks, it is recommendable to reduce
the quantity of water stored in cistern flush toilets, for example by putting bottles in thecistern of existing toilets, and by modifying the design of future cisterns. In addition, it would23

be beneficial to slightly elevate the level of squat toilets to prevent water from flowing into
the toilet when using water for other purposes, such as cleaning.

3.1.3

SLUDGE MANAGEMENT

To improve health protection and reduce water related diseases, it is crucial to organize andmanage septage management. When sludge accumulates too much in septic tanks, itlowers wastewater treatment efficiency and can partly be discharged with the effluent, while
untreated wastewater can overflow from manhole covers. Both have negative impacts on
the surrounding environment, and water contamination can occur, for example, if leaking
water pipes are in contact with infiltrating wastewater in areas where there is overflow fromseptic tanks or where wastewater is discharged without treatment.

3.1.3.1 SLUDGE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT

Figure 40: Cesspool truck recently acquired for
desludging operations in Tsimasham/Tsimalakha

To manage sludge in an environmentally safe manner, regular sludge collection, transport
andtreatment

need

to

be

organized.

To

collect

andtransport

sludge,Tsimasham/Tsimalakha towns have recently acquired a cesspool truck, which has not beenutilized yet but is ready for use. Except in Phuentsholing, this is the only vehicle available tocollect and transport sludge in the Chhukha district (Gedu has no cesspool truck at disposal).
Few options for sludge collection and disposal have been discussed with local authorities.
This consultation considered the use of the existing cesspool truck to cover both
Tshimasham/Tsimalakha and Gedu. However, we would not recommend this option, as thetransport from Tshimasham/Tsimalakha to Gedu would consume too much time, be
expensive and uncertain due to road conditions, for instance, during the monsoon season. It
is preferable to acquire a new cesspool truck for Gedu or reassign the truck for certain
months. In addition, to improve the service quality and enable regular desludging, another24

vehicle in both Tshimasham/Tsimalakha and Gedu might be needed, depending on sludge
collection frequency to cover all the towns, the number of trips needed to empty each tank,and the total volume of sludge to treat, dispose or reuse.
Gedu and Tsimasham show comparable conditions: high coverage of septic tanks, which
can sometimes be difficult to access. Pumping issues can also occur if the elevation level
between the access point of the cesspool truck and the septic tank is too different (probably
not higher than 6 meters). For this situation, sludge will need to be removed manually with amanual desludging hand pump (to acquire).
Tsimalakha shows a different profile with many buildings not connected to a septic tank. This
mainly concerns settlements that are considered illegal, but not only. For example, somehouseholds were sometimes built without any wastewater treatment system, such as thefew houses located near the Chhukha Higher Secondary School. In the upper part of thetown, the BPC colony is supposed to be connected to septic tanks, but most of them are notfunctioning (connecting issues). These problems need to be solved before considering
septage management. To improve the situation at the BPC colony and limit the negative
impact for the households located downstream, it has been mentioned during the debriefing
meeting, held at the Chhukha district on 23 August 2011, that the Chkuha district authorities
would call a meeting with leaders of BPC, to ask them to repair the broken connections andimprove the general sanitary conditions in their colony.
Finally, another issue related to sludge collection concerns the opening of manhole covers,
which are generally sealed. Manhole covers should not be sealed after desludging
operations to facilitate septic tank maintenance inspection (for example, to assess when
septic tanks are full before they overflow) and shorten the time of sludge collection. The
access to the septic tanks should also be eased wherever possible.

3.1.3.2 SLUDGE TREATMENT: METHODS AND DISPOSAL OPTIONS
The options for sludge disposal slightly differ between Tshimasham/Tsimalakha and Gedu.
In Tshimasham/Tsimalakha, three options can be considered:
1. To construct a new sludge treatment plant. This option offers high performance oftreatment and can reduce BOD level to 10 mg/L. However, this option is also the onethat requires the highest investment/capital cost, including design and construction.
25

Municipal staff for O&M would also need to be recruited and trained. To implement such
facility, land would be needed. A possible location has been found below Tsimashamcalled the ‘Old Dog Pond Site’, already accessible by road and having enough space forreceiving such facility; space that can even be enlarged if needed.

Figure 41: Potential sludge disposal site in Tsimasham (‘Old Dog Pond Site’)

The following diagram shows the proposed treatment process for the sludge treatment
plant:

2. To construct a site for sludge compost, including sludge dewatering and drying
processes. This involves the construction of two sludge drying beds (each one to be
used alternately with the other, when full) installed inside an open-air building with roof
and concrete floor. During the dewatering process, the excess water can be drained
from the concrete floor and brought to a septic tank for anaerobic treatment anddischarged to a soak pit for final ground filtration. If there is no septic tank available, the26excess water can also be discharged into the soil under the condition of not having any
settlement nearby, especially downstream. After the dewatering process, the same site
can be used for sludge drying, after having mixed manually sludge with rice straws orother organic materials. Sludge compost could be used as a fertilizer for farming
activities.
This is an option that received favorable opinions during the meeting with local shop
keepers and building owners. If not totally used, sludge compost can also be disposedby landfilling.
3. To construct a site for sludge disposal. This is the easiest and cheapest sludge disposal
method. However, as this method includes ground filtration, settlements must not be atclose location. This method involves the digging of holes where sludge will be dumped.
To reduce pathogens to a level that does not pose health hazards, calcium oxide needs
to be added after each dumping operation. Through this process, a smell of ammonia islikely to be noticed.
In Gedu, the same options can be considered. In addition, other options for sludge reuse ordisposal are available with the sewage treatment plant and the Alikha incinerator. These are:4. To bring the collected sludge to the sewage treatment plant which includes a dewateringmachine and a sludge drying bed. Sludge can be composted in a similar way than
explained in 2 and reuse as a fertilizer or, if not possible, disposed by landfilling.
5. To bring sludge to the Alikha incinerator for disposal. Although this option is feasible, it
has two constraints: a) to allow good combustion, sludge needs to be dewatered anddried before inicineration; b) the Alikha incinerator is already overloaded with garbage
coming from the colony of the Tala hydropower plant and the town of Gedu.
As the sewage treatment plant in Gedu would need some maintenance and repair in orderto function properly, the option 3 can be used as a temporary measure until the plant isready for operation. A favorable location for the disposal site was identified downstream tothe plant where no settlement is constructed yet. However, the construction of a new roadindicated that new settlements might be built in this area. Therefore, if this disposal site
option is considered, further consultation will be required to confirm if this area is appropriate
for sludge disposal or if it is necessary to identify another site further away from the town.
27

Figure 42: Potential sludge disposal site in Gedu (to be confirmed)

3.1.3.3 SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT: SERVICE ORGANIZATIONThe ultimate goal of septage management is to set up a system that enables a regularemptying of septic tanks (sludge collection) before these get full. This system aims toprevent any intervention (e.g. phone call) from building owners or the persons in charge ofthe septic tanks. To organize such a system, it will be necessary to identify, as precisely as
possible through sanitation mapping, the volume of sludge to be collected. Therefore, sometime will be required, also to select and train the operators. At least two operators would beneeded to conduct daily desludging operations with the cesspool truck. For safety reasons,
it is recommendable to provide them with protective equipments, including a uniform thatcovers arms and legs, gloves, long shoes, and a mask. It is also advisable to ensure thatthese equipments are regularly cleaned and not brought home. Operators should be
provided the opportunity and the facilities to have a wash and change clothes at the end of
their duty.
For sludge collection and transport, a financing system will also need to be set up to ensure
the sustainability of the business and favor a possible opportunity for the involvement of theprivate sector. This system should prevent users from paying for each visit of the cesspool
truck to guarantee that the emptying of septic tanks does not get penalized by individual
financing issues. However, until this system gets properly organized, sludge collection andtransport can be done through an on-call service, in which people who urgently need tohave their septic tank emptied can call and get this operation done. During this period and topromote the importance and quality of service, it would be positive and educational toconduct desludging operations without charging the population (especially as theconsultation with communities showed their worry about the quality of service than can beprovided, even if they regularly pay for it).

28

The financing of the charge for septage management needs to be discussed among local
authorities. This could be collected from the water bill, if water supply is charged and if water
meters are installed; through the local tax system or through a charge taking into accountthe number of users. Prior to decide the amount of the charge to be collected, it is importantto thoroughly calculate all costs associated with daily operations, maintenance and future
investment that will ensure the sustainability of the service. To identify the volume of sludge
to collect and the frequency of desludging operations, the number of users for each septictank will need to be precisely assessed as well as the water consumption/capita/day.

3.2 SEWERAGE SYSTEM
3.2.1

REVIVAL OF THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT IN GEDU AND CONSIDERATION FOR
FUTURE EXPANSIONA series of measures can be considered by MoWHS and the District to revive the sewage
treatment plant in Gedu if the ownership is transferred from the college. However, the mosturgent measure to take is to assess precisely why wastewater is not reaching the plant,
what are the problems and what needs to be done to solve them. This assessment is criticalas wastewater is probably stagnating or infiltrating the soil somewhere between the college
and the sewage treatment plant; areas where concentrate many houses and businesses.
Infiltrating wastewater poses a serious threat of contamination for the water supply network
if it comes in contact with leaking pipes, whereas stagnating wastewater is also a threat for
health, especially for children if there are nearby such area. Until the sewer network gets
repaired, it is urgent to ensure that all wastewater from households and institutions getscollected and treated. For that purpose, the acquisition of a cesspool truck would beneeded.
Different options are conceivable for the sewage treatment plant. Among the available
options, one would be to revive/repair this facility and provide a few improvements (seehereafter for the detailed measures). Another option would be to increase the plant
treatment capacity in order to cover the whole town. Consultation with local communities
during the meeting with building owners and shop keepers held in Gedu (20 August 2011)indicated that people are willing to be connected (and also pay for it), thus extending thesewered area to the whole town. According to them, this would prevent future maintenanceissues with septic tanks and be better in the long-term perspective. Increasing sewer
coverage in Gedu is an idea that also caught the attention of MoWHS during this mission’s
debriefing meeting in Thimphu (26 August 2011), by contrast with what has been expressed29during the last meeting with the Chhukha district authorities (23 August 2011).
To increase the actual sewage treatment plant capacity, different options can be envisaged;such as disassembling the existing plant and construct a new one that would have thecapacity to treat all the wastewater from the town, or build an additional plant next to theexisting one. The location of the actual plant would provide enough space to enable the two
options. However, before further considering the increase of sewer coverage or the best way
to increase sanitation coverage – including a combination of on-site and off-site sanitation
systems – it is necessary to gather precise data/information for the creation of a master planthat would enable such planning as well as technology selection. Among the information
required,

data

on

population,

population

density,

area

to

be

covered,water

consumption/capita/day, influent water quality, a map including the topography and thelocation of buildings (1:2,500 scale), etc., need to be obtained in addition to a town
developing plan which will show how and where the town and associated infrastructures willdevelop.
Along with this preparation, it is necessary to clearly establish who will have theresponsibility for the maintenance of sewerage facilities, and create a body for operationand maintenance. The capacity to properly operate and maintain the sewerage system, forexample as plumbing issues have been observed in many areas, might be a challenge. Oneof the important issues to address will be the training of the staff in charge of operation andmaintenance. Another challenge will be the financing of the construction cost, including thecost for connection to the sewer network by individuals and institutions. Sewer user charges
would also need to be discussed among local authorities and set up for cost recovery andfuture investments.
A third option would be not to repair the sewer network and to use the sewage treatment
plant only for sludge treatment, as the treatment process is similar. Nevertheless, this option
would imply the acquisition of a cesspool truck and the implementation of a wastewater
treatment system (such as the septic tank) for the buildings that have been disconnectedfrom the sewerage system.
The following measures are propositions for repairs and improvements for reviving andimproving this facility.
1. Addition of a flow equalization tank: wastewater treatment is more efficient under30

uniform flow conditions. Depending on the time of the day, wastewater volume differs. To
ensure a regular flow of wastewater and a stable treatment even during flow peaks, itwould be beneficial to install a flow equalization tank prior to the preliminary stage oftreatment. This tank equipped with a pump would be used for temporary storage. Whenthe volume of wastewater reaches a certain level in the tank, wastewater will be lifted by
the pump and sent to the plant for treatment.
2. Screen improvement: it would be beneficial to improve the screens at the preliminary
stage of treatment to improve the removal of large objects and to optimize solid removal.
This would prevent damage further in the plant and improve the efficiency of thetreatment process.
3. Oxidation ditch improvement and repair: to allow the rotor of the final oxidation ditch tobe sufficiently in contact with wastewater, it will be necessary to either lower the rotor orraise the outlet pipe. The cracks visible in the structure of the same oxidation ditch will
also need to be repaired.
For the aeration process, the system would improve if an air diffuser device was added
inside the two oxidation ditches.

4. Sedimentation tank structure improvement: To allow a uniform flow removal from thesurface and avoid a too short detention time, the weir channel around the periphery of
the tank should be at equal level. Further improvement could be obtained by modifying
the design of the outlet weir and adding notches, holes, or slits along its length. The
outlet zone should be designed to prevent short-circuiting of water and to allow only a
top few centimeters of water to flow out from the sedimentation tank.

Figure 43: Appropriate outlet zone for uniform flow removal in the sedimentation tank

5. Improvement of dewatering process: dewatering process could be eased by mixing
31

sludge to a coagulant inside a tank to be added between the sedimentation tank and thedewatering machine. Finally, one of the pipes of the dewatering machine was leaking at
the time of the visit and needs to be replaced.

3.2.2

CONSIDERATION FOR SEWER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION IN TSIMASHAM/TSIMALAKHAAs well as in Gedu, shop keepers and building owners in Tsimasham/Tsimalakha expressed
their interest in being connected to the sewerage system in the future. This idea mainly
comes from the facts that they are afraid of experiencing problems with their septic tank;problems that they would not know how to solve. They are also afraid that the cesspool truck
will not come on time to collect the sludge accumulated in their septic tank. Therefore, rather
than paying for a service that is unsecured, they would prefer to pay for a system that would
be more sustainable/trouble less for them in the long-term.
Nonetheless, before envisaging the feasibility of such project, other options can beconsidered to increase sanitation coverage as well as quality conditions with on-site
sanitation systems and proper sludge management.

3.3 IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC TOILET FACILITIESShop keepers from Tsimasham clearly showed interest in the construction of public toilet
facilities to lower the load on their toilets and septic tanks from the numerous travelers whostop for a toilet break. The construction of such facilities could be financed through local tax.
As for operation and maintenance, communities agreed that a fee collected for each usage
would be needed and that, in the meantime, all shop keepers should restrict the access of
their toilet if public toilet facilities are available.

3.4 IMPROVEMENT OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM
To avoid the accumulation or inappropriate passage of grey water nearby houses, it isimportant to check all open drains and repair/improve the system where needed. Regularcleaning is also crucial to ensure that garbage does not block the drains.

32

3.5 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR UNTREATED WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
For the buildings that are not connected to any wastewater treatment system, or connected
to a faulty system, it is urgent to take measures to prevent wastewater from being
discharged untreated. This especially concerns the houses located nearby the Chhukha
Higher Secondary School and the BPC colony in Tsimalakha. An option would be to collect
toilet waste in a tank directly connected to the buildings. This tank could be emptied
regularly by the cesspool truck.
Another option would be to speed up the relocation of the temporary settlements, some ofwhich are considered illegal, to new development areas with houses connected to a proper
wastewater treatment system. For the BPC colony, the Chhukha district authorities emitted
the desire to call a meeting with the BPC authorities to describe the actual problems and ask
them to repair the broken septic tanks of the colony.
To prevent water contamination through leaking pipes, it is also advisable to promote therepair of water supply pipes.

4 NEXT STEPSTo promote sanitation improvement, the next steps will be to:•Gather information, data from further assessment (e.g. population, density, water
consumption/capita/day, water quality, town city/road plans highlighting future
developments, etc.), and maps at appropriate scale (1:2,500) from each town for the
preparation of a master plan to frame future sanitation improvements, including thedevelopment of sanitation infrastructure•

Conduct sanitation and hygiene education and awareness-raising activities amongcommunities•

Provide training to operators and staff involved in management of sanitation facilities,
including new staff for septage management and O&M of future sanitation facilities•

Define clear responsibilities for management of sanitation facilities and create relatedbodies where needed33

•

Review and develop sanitation-related institutional framework, including legal andregulatory

arrangementsforseptic

tanks

and

other

sanitation

facilities(sludge/wastewater treatment plants)•

Develop sanitation education in academia to increase the number of available
specialists•

Formalization of Sanitary Committee and finalization of their TOR•

Raise education and awareness on Sanitary Committee TOR, ECOP Guidelines andWaste Management Act etc.

More specifically, this will imply to:•Further develop the programme interventions to reflect the findings of this report with afocus on the improvement of sanitation and behavior change•

Undertake the baseline process•

Review legal and institutional arrangements•

Share the findings with MoWHS in terms of supporting their role in addressing the Gedu
sewage treatment plant and actions•

Consult with district authorities in terms of the sludge disposal site and establishing theservice•

Consultation with other stakeholders, such as Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) andDruk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) management to sort issues related tosanitation in their compounds and include them in periodic district sanitation
consultations

34

Annex A
Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All in Small Towns
TOR for JSC 2nd Technical Visit
17th- 26th August 2011
Introduction
SNV and DUDES under the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement (MoWHS) are working
in partnership to develop a Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All (SSH4A) in Small
Towns programme in Bhutan under a two year framework agreement. The goal of the
programme is to enhance access to improved sanitation and improved hygiene practices for
all the three small towns in the Chukka District. DUDES will be the collaborating agency, andChhukha Dzongkhag and Municipal Corporations of the three towns under Chhukha
Dzongkhag will be the implementing agency.
The programme will have the following components;


Sustainable sanitation and hygiene behavior change communication



WASH governance for planning, enhancing and regulating

Strengthening sanitation supply chain development and faecal sludge management.



Knowledge brokering and process facilitation for expertise on specific treatment
options.

Analysing, disseminating, and learning (knowledge management).

As part of the development of this programme a joint initial assessment was undertaken by
DUDES, SNV and JSC of the three towns Tsimasham, Tsimalakha and Gedu Towns fromthe 8-17th May 11. The subsequent report made recommendations which will be followed up
during a stakeholder meeting and subsequent second technical input by JSC.

Objective: Provide technical advice in follow-up to the initial joint sanitation assessment of
the selected small towns with a focus on septage waste management and institutionalarrangements.
The second assessment will have a specific focus on agreed key activities andrecommendations as listed hereafter.

35

At the same time a stakeholder meeting is planned for the 18th August 11 for the Chukka
Districts 3 urban settlements of– Tsimasham, Tsimalakha and Gedu Towns. The objective of
the stakeholder meeting is to:-

Introduce the programme framework-

Present and discuss the report findings-

Prioritise recommendations and agree on priorities-

Agree on key roles and responsibilities-

Develop shared expectations-

Develop a Work Plan-

Begin preparations for a baseline and sanitation mapping process to commence in
September 2011.

Key activities•

Contribute to the stakeholder workshop in collaboration with SNV, MoWHS and the
Chhukha district in terms of developing a list of priorities and prioritized areas in towns
for sanitation improvement and prepare a Work Plan, including sanitation targets and aschedule for implementation.

•

Assess how to organize septage management, including the financing, regulation andselection of sites for treatment and the feasibility of involving the private sector.

•

Understand in further detail the actual legal and institutional structure for sanitation.

•

Provide technical advice to the team in terms of the planning of sanitation mapping to
be undertaken as part of the baseline process in September 2011.

Specific recommendations to follow up
Recommendation 6.

Implementation of septage management

To improve wastewater treatment efficiency of septic tanks, and prevent untreatedwastewater from overflowing when tanks are overloaded, regular and systematic desludging
operations need to be implemented. Better septage management can be considered as animportant first step of sanitation improvement for small towns, with substantial impact on the36treatment efficiency of septic tanks. The organized system should be compulsory andeliminate any intervention from septic tank owners (avoid on-call service).
The frequency of emptying operations should be determined depending on the size of theseptic tanks and the number of users (probably once or twice a year, or more often). Thisshould be preliminary assessed through sanitation mapping and consultation with the public.
As previously mentioned in the finding 7, a new cesspool truck has been ordered by the
Chhukha district and was due to be delivered at the end of May. Depending on the capacityof this truck, it may be necessary to increase the number of such vehicles for desludging
operations. The acquisition of more cesspool trucks would solve the problem of overflow
from septic tanks with small capacity.
A financing mechanism should also be implemented to prevent users from paying for each
visit of the cesspool truck (thus ensuring regular desludging), and enable the involvement of
the private sector. This would require the understanding of the public and, therefore, theimplementation of communication campaigns to explain why a financial contribution isneeded.
Recommendation 7.

Consideration for disposal sites and construction of sludge

treatment facilities
As sludge from septic tanks needs to be collected on a regular basis, it is essential toconsider and implement disposal/composting sites and treatment facilities. Different options
for collection, transport, treatment and disposal or recycle as compost are conceivable
depending on land availability, the acceptance of the local population (for example on thepossibility of using sludge compost), and the funds available (i.e. priority given for theconstruction of sludge treatment facilities). These options are:

Sludge can be treated through a sludge treatment plant (to be constructed). After
treatment and drying operation, dried sludge can be used for landfill, farming or
combusted for example at the Alikha incinerator in Gedu.



Sludge can also be dewatered and used as a fertilizer after compost. This would
necessitate the acquisition of dewatering machines, the construction of buildings withroof and concrete floor, the provision of land, and the acceptance and needs from thelocal population to use sludge as a fertilizer. If not fully utilized, part of the dewateredsludge or compost could be brought to the Alikha incinerator for disposal.
37

Consultation with the local population will need to be first carried out to determine what
would be the most suitable way to manage sludge and if compost sludge is adequate for
agriculture.
Recommendations 13.

Charge for sludge collection and treatment

To allow regular sludge collection and transport, a financing mechanism will need to be set
up. Such mechanism is to be discussed and decided between the central government, thedistrict authorities and the municipalities. Different systems can be considered depending onwhether sanitation will be paid by each household through a charge or financed through thetax collection system, and how much the government of Bhutan will subsidize for sanitation
improvement. What follows is only to consider as options.
As well as the sewer charge paid by the populations living in an area covered by thesewerage system, a compulsory charge included in the water bill (as it is done in Manila,
Philippines) – which could be called ‘environmental charge’ – could be paid by all septic tankusers living in an area targeted for sludge collection and treatment. If water meters are notwidely used, another possibility would be to collect this charge through other existing local
taxes.
To facilitate this new charge collection, it will be important to communicate with the public
and makes everyone understand that, in order to promote good sanitation practices that will
enable a safe and healthy environment with ultimately high economic return,governments/districts/people need to invest in and pay for sanitation.
The collected charge is intended to cover sludge collection and transport to the treatment
facility or disposal/recycling site. The private sector could here be invited to play a role andconduct sludge collection and transport under the management of a body of professionals(for regulatory management) from the municipality. As mentioned earlier, it isrecommendable to construct one or more sludge treatment facilities and consider different
options after sludge treatment: disposal or recycle as compost (if acceptable for local
communities). As done in other countries, the funding for the acquisition and theconstruction of such facilities could be covered through local taxes or budget from thecentral government, as for the implementation of the sewerage system. Operation andmaintenance could be covered by local taxes.

38

Recommendation 20.

Legal, regulatory and institutional development

The legal and institutional system for sanitation in Bhutan was not fully assessed during thisfirst mission. Although more clarity in this matter is required, ideally, a sound institutionalframework for wastewater/night soil/sludge management is needed to maintain a healthyliving environment and conserve water environment. This includes the following:•

Establishment of a legal system to define the responsibility and duties of central
government department, district, municipalities, the private sector and individuals for
wastewater/night soil/sludge management.

•

Establishment of a legal system with regulations and standards for wastewater/night
soil/sludge management including the introduction of appropriate sanitaryequipment/wastewater treatment technologies and standards ofstructure/performance/O&M for the equipment/technologies (including regulation andenforcement in relation to the construction, sitting and designs of septic tanks.)•

Establishment of a legal system to regulate the stakeholders who intend to join
businesses related to wastewater/night soil/sludge management, in order to enable
participation of the private sector.

•

Establishment of a training system for capacity development dedicated to municipal
officers in charge of or related to wastewater/night soil/sludge management, to ensure
the effective application of laws, regulations and standards.

•

Specification of the role and implication of non-government organizations/community-based organizations for sanitation and hygiene awareness-raising activities
and the mobilization of local communities.

39Annex B
Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All – Small Towns
The goal of this pilot phase is enhanced access to improved environmentally safe sanitationand improved hygiene practices for 9,500 people in 3 small towns in Chukka District by
mid-2013.
The specific objectives of the project are:
1. Improve hygiene behaviour and create demand for regular emptying, improved
construction and maintenance of on-site sanitation facilities of households, institutions,businesses and in public places.
2. Develop financially viable and environmentally safe solutions for sanitation services
attending a variety of consumer needs among households, institutions, businesses
as well as in public places.
3. Strengthen municipal level WASH governance, regulation and ensure both public
and private stakeholders are in compliance
4. Improve local faecal sludge disposal, treatment, disposal and reuse options that areenvironmentally safe, socially acceptable, aligned with GNH goals and financiallysustainable.
5. Improving learning, documentation and sharing of best practices
The project aims at town-wide sanitation coverage, improving faecal sludge management
and hygiene practices for the three small towns of Gedu, Tshimisham and Tshimalakha in
Chhukha District over a two year period. The Ministry of Works and Human Settlement(MoWHS) is the key client at the national level, and Chhukha Dzongkhag and the relevant
sectoral agencies responsible for the three towns under Chhukha Dzongkhag will be theimplementing partners.
Key Components are the strengthening of professional and institutional capacity in:-

Sanitation demand creation and hygiene behavior change-

On site sanitation services and business development-

Improving WASH governance, regulation and compliance-Faecal sludge treatment, disposal and re-use

4041