Volta watertight VIP latrine.

The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is assisting the government of Ghana to provide potable water and improved sanitation facilities to about 50% of the Volta Region's population over a 10-year Community Water and Sanitation Programme (CWSP). Sanitation options include designs for household Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines. However, areas along the coastal belt of the region have a high water table, between 1-1.5 m (3.3-4.95 ft). In addition, about 80% of the inhabitants in these areas depend on shallow hand-dug wells for domestic purposes and irrigation of vegetable gardens. With the construction of these sanitation options under promotion, pollution of the groundwater is inevitable. Circumventing the problem by the programme led to the modification of the present designs into the "Volta Watertight VIP Latrine (VVIP)". The design considerations and the components that have been incorporated to enable it function effectively are presented in this paper for discussion. Five (5) demonstration units were built, and used for a year. Used pits were covered and pit contents examined after a period of six months. Observations made at the end of this fallow led to the conclusion that the VVIP could be adapted for high water table areas to prevent groundwater pollution, baring any constructional defects and inefficiencies.