Learn more about the entire ...

Learn more about the entire sanitation service chain

Hello Mahesh,

First of all, I also agree with Ashantha that you need to exercise caution and collect more info especially on "what does not work". In my own view, there seems to be way too many sanitation solutions that have have placed on the table that one easily wonders why we still have 2 billion people without access to improved sanitation. Clearly something is missing in the whole ecosystem somewhere.

I also would wonder whether you are focusing on just building a toilet (the user interface) or you're thinking of the whole sanitation value chain. Just to illustrate; where does the excreta go after the user has left it in your toilet? EAWAG in Switzerland has developed a compendium of sanitation systems and technologies (http://www.eawag.ch/forschung/sandec/publikationen/compendium_e/index_EN) that would be handy for you to scan the whole ecosystem and see what sort of technologies already exist and how your idea can build on that. 

The Gates Foundation has also funded a number of editions of the Re-invent the Toilet Challenge and I'm sure you can learn lots from some ideas that have been developed within that context. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Reinvent-the-Toilet-Challenge

I come from Uganda and we have SaniHub, an initiative of Water for People that are working on some parts of the value chain, especially emptying of conventional pit latrines with gulpers. Learn more about their work here http://sanihub.blogspot.se/

In neighbouring Kenya, Sanergy has developed a low cost toilet design with an interesting business model that seeks to span the whole service chain. You can learn something from their work as well. http://saner.gy/

Lastly, you can also get lots of help from the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) forum which comprises of over 3000 professionals working at all levels in the sanitation sector in both developed and developing countries. http://forum.susana.org/

I hope the links I have shared can help you as you go about your work. Best wishes.

Daniel