Elephant Toilet

Ian Thorpe

Elephant Toilets are VIP latrines for rural applications.

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
Feedback

Product description Brand name and product description

The Elephant Toilet is a ventilation improved (VIP) Latrine designed for rural sanitation applications.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

The Africa Trust currently implements the Elephant Toilet in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Uganda

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

The Africa Trust has distributed toilet since 2013, Pump Aid (2009 – 2012)

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

The African Trust indicates that 100 British pounds as a a donation amount that will provide a family with an Elephant Toilet.

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Locally-made latrines

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Rural households and communities without access to improved sanitation

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

Hand built by local masons and community members, the cement in the Elephant Toilet is mainly used to mold a reusable slab that sits above the main toilet pit. The circular concrete slab is approximately 36 inches in diameter, 4 inches thick, made from 1 bag of portland cement mixed with coarse sand, and reinforced with any available salvaged metal rods or wire. The concrete mixture is poured into a circular mold described by string, and comprised of utility bricks on the ground with a hand-sized, semi circle of metal rod exposed from one side which forms a handle for moving the pad when existing pit is full. The pad features footpads on flanking an 8 inch center hole for solid waste, and channel for liquid waste diversion.

For the pit construction, required materials include bricks, sand or rocks to line the pit. Full instructions are available here.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Open-source

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

The Elephant Toilet is built in communities where the African Trust operates and is funded by donations.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

From 2009–2012 Pump Aid piloted a project that trained former child soldiers to build Elephant Toilets for Liberian communities, delivering 300 Elephant Toilets. The number of Elephant Toilets implemented by the African Trust is unknown.

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

User interface (seat material, squat, wash toilet, etc.)

Squat, urine diverting dry toilet

Evacuation method (flush, pour flush, dry, etc.)

Dry

Pit Capacity (years of use)

Unknown

Back-end process (stored, treated, reused, pumped, etc.)

Stored

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

The Elephant Toilet consists of a concrete slab, and thatched roof hut, with the toilet positioned over a 3 meter pit lined with stones. Users stand on the elephant’s “ears” and urine is removed by the “trunk”, or channel, to a nearby earth-covered compost pit. The faeces decompose more easily without urine, as urine kills its useful bacteria. Vegetation can be enriched by the pit’s nitrogen rich urine. A privacy structure can be built around the pit, with an internal chimney running up the wall, using sun-dried mud bricks.

Once the pit of the toilet has reached full capacity the stone lining of the pit enables the user to plant a productive fruit tree in its place and move the reusable slab for a new toilet.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Unknown

Technical support Technical support provided by

Local masons or community members involved in construction are responsible for ongoing maintenance.

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

The Elephant Toilet’s concrete pad, its primary component, is possible to replicate. The separately-constructed pit and superstructure require local labor.

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

The pad can be reused over a new pit when an existing pit has been filled with solid waste. Pit capacity is unspecified.

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

Unknown

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Unknown

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Pump Aid

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

Safe handling of waste materials requires protective clothing.

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

Privacy and insect screening is achieved by building a superstructure over the toilet. Improved urine diversion can be achieved by plastering the wall in front of the toilet so that standing urination is directed at wall and into channel rather than into pit hole.

A clear plastic bottle covered in pin prick holes can be placed at the top of the chimney creating a ventilation system which also traps flies. Seso, a local plant with antiseptic properties can be grown outside the toilet and users can pick a leaf to use as soap to wash their hands with after every visit.

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

None

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

None

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Field trials. In 2012 Pump Aid evaluated an Elephant Toilet pilot in Liberian communities to assess the functionality and suitability of the technologies and the impact of the programme. They concluded that while the Elephant Toilet was appreciated by the beneficiary households, a further scaling in Liberia was not viable as it required expensive inputs (cement) and tools (casting molds) and made the solution unaffordable for both artisans and households.

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