Expanding Access to Sanitation for Unsewered Communities in Morocco and Jordan

In countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, small communities have virtually no access to centralized wastewater collection and treatment systems. Absent such services, sewage disposal is often left to the discretion of homeowners. In many cases, untreated sewage is discharged onto surface waters or the landscape, contaminating already dwindling surface water and groundwater resources. This practice will continue unabated unless appropriate and affordable systems are made available. An internationally recognized alternative is decentralized sanitation — treatment systems that can be scaled to serve communities on the order of 10 to 100 households. With nominal training, these systems can be maintained and operated by community members; however, decentralized sanitation is not widely implemented in the Middle East and North Africa.
 
This research project will test and demonstrate pilot decentralized wastewater treatment systems in Jordan and Morocco. The project seeks to address technical, management, financial, regulatory, and participatory aspects of building and operating decentralized treatment systems.