Management of septic sludge in southwest Nigeria

摘要

Inadequate and inefficient management of septic sludge is one of the most pressing environmental problems faced by cities of the developing world. In Nigeria however, attention seemed to be focussed on solid wastes and hazardous industrial wastes without many realizing that septic sludge is just as detrimental to human health. The custodian of world health - World Health Organization (WHO) in 1996 sited indiscriminate disposal of septic water-borne diseases, particularly in developing countries (Cairncross and Feachem, 1997) Unlike some developing nations which have taken heed to the WHO clarion call, Nigeria is yet to evolve policies and strategies to address the menace. It has been reported that people use sullage mixed with human faeces and urine for agriculture in major urban centres in the nation (Sridhar, 1995; Sridhar, 2000). This paper describes our experience on septic sludge management in a (South Western) Nigerian City, Ibadan, with a sprawling population of about 2.9 million. The main objectives of the study included assessment of the current management practices as far as septic sludge is concerned as well as design of a feasible management system.