Flush Toilets

Flush toilets are one of the most common toilet designs in non-developing nations. They rely on gravity and water to remove urine and faeces from the toilet. The water then brings the excrement to either a septic tank or sewer line. Sewer lines carry the waste to be treated, while septic tanks collect solid waste and paper, and liquids can be drained via a leach field. Septic tanks must be emptied once they become full, and the waste is then trucked away to be treated elsewhere. Flush toilets require some kind of water source in order to operate. The two main kinds of flush toilets are handle-flush and pour-flush. Handle-flush toilets use water from a tank that sits on the back of the toilet to flush, while pour-flush toilets use a small amount of water poured in to the toilet bowl by hand (The World Bank 2012). Some pros of flush toilets include their ease of use and maintenance. Unfortunately, they require large amounts of water to operate, creating wastewater which must be treated. Some of the past WPI projects suggested collecting greywater and using it to flush the toilets to cut down on the fresh water used for flushing (Connolly 2010). Currently, the majority of toilets in Langrug are flush toilets (Informal Settlement Network 2011).

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