Development Aspects Impressum Editors

Source: Photo courtesy of Municipal Council, Negombo

The tanks arrived in Negombo in February and were transferred to the bus termi- nal site through a lagoon, since the bridges were not designed to withstand the weight of the tanks. However, because of unexpected political disturbances, the construction process did not proceed as planned, since approval for construction was delayed from another local government office. This challenge of local political coordination, limited contact with the local government and absent leadership and political will for the project for almost one year, delayed any progress on the pro- ject until the following year. The project did not progress much for Negombo until installations began in early 2011. The Eco-Tanks were functional by June 2011 and evaluations to attest to the success of the project were completed in July the same year. The experience of these challenges and the lessons learned from Negombo, as well as other cities, are detailed below.

Despite facing the worst floods in five years, by the end of 2010, the City of Palembang had successfully completed its on-site delivery of the tanks (see figure 3), community participation sessions, awareness-raising campaigns and installation with limited delays. In early 2009, the Eco-Tanks were shipped from Thailand and arrived at the destination on schedule. Work for laying pipes and other material began as soon as the tanks arrived. By the end of 2009, the Eco-Tank project neared its second phase and tank installation began in a specially constructed un- derground compartment near a low-income housing complex. Palembang’s pro- gress continued in 2010, with the installation of the tanks completed by the end of the year.

Figure 3: Eco-Tanks being transferred to the project site in Palembang, Indonesia



Figure 4: Low-income housing complex owned by the City of Palembang, target site for Eco-Tank installation


Figure 5: Dr. Ksemsan (Chief Advisor, Premier Products), the expert who modified the Jokaso system from Yokohama to Eco-Tanks, visits Palembang and inspects the project site in November 2010



Figure 6: Local engineers from Palembang receive advice from senior sanitation advisers from CITYNET, representatives from San Fernando and WTO (World Toilet Organization, member of CITYNET)

in November 2010, Palembang
As indicated in the original 2008 plan of action, Palembang installed the two tanks at a public low-income housing complex and also conducted orientation sessions for the residents of the building (see figure 4). Regular communication between CITYNET and the city project officers in Palembang allowed for close monitoring of the project, with a strong commitment from the Mayor. As of November 2010, technical officials from CITYNET and Premier Products (the Eco-Tank manufactur- er) were able to visit the project site for inspection and had advisory sessions with local engineers and supervisors to transfer technical knowledge, remedy installa- tion flaws and provide solutions for other key challenges, such as odour contami- nation from the tanks (see figures 5 and 6). In 2011, engineers from Palembang were able to apply all the recommendations and changes.
In November 2010, the City of Palembang also hosted an international sanita- tion workshop to bring further knowledge and discussion on sanitation practices

and technologies to the city.⁵ With the objective of creating clean and comfortable cities in terms of sanitation standards and public health, the workshop provided the platform for various stakeholders to develop ideas and methods which can help reduce sanitation-related challenges in more applicable and sustainable ways in developing cities in Asia. The event, supported by various international part- ners including UNITAR, CITYNET, the Asian Development Bank and UN-HABITAT, represented collaborative engagement at its best and presented a chance to share new knowledge on sanitation issues and consider lessons learned and best prac- tices for wastewater management in low-income communities. The workshop also resulted in expressions of interest and commitments from eight new beneficiary cities across Asia to develop similar Eco-Tank pilots, as well as commitments from local governments to prepare greener sanitation plans and strategies for their own cities. Palembang is now replicating and expanding the project by partnering with qualified local manufacturers if their technical conditions are deemed suitable for manufacturing.

The City of San Fernando started its pilot 15 months later than Negombo and Palembang following delays in completing the initial needs assessment phase and finalizing participation agreements. In February 2010, the Mayor of San Fernando and his team paid a technical visit to the resource city of Bangkok, Thailand, and Premier Products (the manufacturer of Eco-Tanks) to study Eco-Tank technology, learn first-hand how tanks were designed, view installation procedures and learn about the broader science behind wastewater treatment. After the visit to Bang- kok, the San Fernando delegation began the preparatory phase by conducting ini- tial site surveys for potential Eco-Tank sites, with additional support from USAID’s technical sanitation officials in the Philippines. From March to April, San Fernando municipality also conducted meetings with various community officials and stake- holders including health workers, resort owners and other local inhabitants, to ensure community participation and support for the project.



Figure 7: Low-income riverside communities discharge wastewater directly into the San Fernando City River

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   www.citynet-ap.org/media-room/events/s/Sanitation-Workshop-in-Palembang/
   

Figure 8: Eco-Tank installation completed in low-income riverside community

The foundation for successful implementation was further enhanced by additional data gathering and promotional plans for the city’s new project, which included a regional symposium on “Septage, Sewerage and Sanitation” held in March 2010. The city took this opportunity to unveil the newly arrived Eco-Tanks to the public and showcase the planned project. Technical officials participating in the sympo- sium were also able to offer advisory services prior to the Eco-Tank installation. Through similar technical cooperation visits for Palembang, Premier Products sent engineers to San Fernando to assess the situation prior to installing the tanks. With the support of the city, Premier Products is also exploring opportunities to manufacture the tanks locally in San Fernando. The city completed installation of the tanks in the low-income communities along the San Fernando River in March 2011 (see figure 7 and 8) and has even engaged in cost-sharing to purchase more Eco-Tanks and expand the project’s outreach to other local sites such as San Fran- cisco Beach.

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