Development of an aerobic vermiculture whole-of-waste treatment plant and potential uses in Sub-Saharan Africa

The management of municipal and household waste in Sub-Saharan Africa is a difficult problem as the government and individuals try to manage the costs associated with systems expected to be the norm in developed economies with increasing demands for lifestyles typical of the west. In Kenya and Uganda the management of municpal and human waste is basic, if present at all, and usually concentrated in the largest cities. Increasing population densities in many areas mean that the traditional pit latrine and septic systems are no longer environmentally acceptable, as groundwater contamination and overflows during periods of heavy use and in the wet seasons contaminate the existing water sources of springs, wells amd streams. The need for a simple and low cost waste management system that incorporates all the organic waste of households and small communities is an urgent necessity. At the University of Western Sydney a prototype of a system based on vermiculture was trialled and shown to be effective in generating products that could be used by the community: worms for feedstock to poultry and fish, compost for gardens, and water suitable for irrigation. This paper presents some of the design characteristics of the system. Future development work is outlined.