A young woman is addressing the urgent need for clean and sustainable sanitation solutions in poor coastal areas in Indonesia — by building a septic tank above the sea.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00If it's dirty, it smells bad, especially when there's no water, the water is dry, the sea water is dry, it really doesn't smell good.
00:08But what else can we do? That's how it used to be, because there was no water, whether you want it or not, you have to go to the waste dump.
00:16Thousands of households still lack access to proper toilet facilities in Bandar Lampung,
00:21the capital of Lampung province, home to over a million people.
00:25Many here still resort to open defecation, particularly in riverfront and coastal areas.
00:44Wati is one of many coastal residents who do not have a lavatory at home.
00:49She used to use a traditional coastal toilet.
00:55I used to close my eyes and talk about life, but because it was considered the back part,
01:01so it didn't look like it was enough to be closed and finished.
01:05Whereas what is closed is flowing to where, what is closed is the impact to where.
01:14Because we can't see with the naked eye.
01:16Ifah Rahmi is a local woman who is concerned about the condition of sanitation facilities in the coastal areas of Lampung.
01:24Ifah noticed how women and children are the most vulnerable to inadequate sanitation facilities in coastal areas.
01:54Ifah introduced S-Trypicon, an overwater septic tank, as an alternative technology for coastal residents.
02:06This technology, installed in traditional coastal toilets,
02:09diverts fecal waste from being directly discharged and washed away by the sea.
02:25Previously, Rina's sea-stealed house used a traditional coastal toilet.
02:35After years of struggling with dirty and smelly toilets, especially during low tide,
02:40Rina agreed to have her house used as a pilot for the installation of septic tank.
02:54There are so many components that they think about.
02:56The important thing is that there is a common facility that can be used together to meet the needs.
03:03The point is that the Trypicon is a concept for the management of waste, for sewage and so on.
03:09So, especially houses that are very close to the coast or the beach.
03:14So even in that area, there are houses on the beach, on the sea.
03:22They won't have a septic tank.
03:24They won't have a toilet as usual.
03:27Finally, with this technology, the septic tank can be installed,
03:32can be installed in their house, in the house on the stage earlier, not far from there.
03:38And as soon as it can manage the waste, especially the sewage, they don't have to be confused anymore.
03:47In collaboration with Youth Sanitation Concern,
03:50a community initiative led by IFA,
03:52they have built and refurbished communal toilets in the coastal area.
03:56They introduced solar panel to the local community
04:00as an alternative technology for powering water pumps and lighting toilets.
04:04There are still many people who don't have toilets.
04:08Then they use public toilet facilities.
04:12Many of these facilities are broken.
04:14Then they don't realize that they have to be maintained.
04:17What we do is to return that function with participation.
04:22So that they don't lose access.
04:25Proper sanitation facilities remain a low priority for many communities,
04:30especially those in coastal areas.
04:32One major challenge is the high cost of building and maintaining toilets.
04:37With the solar panels, they no longer need to pay electricity bills.
04:41All they have to do is pay a community contribution of 5,000 Indonesian rupiahs
04:46or 0.3 euro per month for each household.
04:50It's not difficult.
04:52It's more profitable.
04:54Because there is help from the Ministry of Environment.
04:59If it's electricity, the government has to pay for it automatically.
05:04So the residents don't have to pay for it?
05:06The residents don't have to pay.
05:07It's just a savings for the damage that is not expected,
05:11such as electricity bills, water bills.
05:14So it's a community contribution.
05:16Another challenge is raising public awareness of the importance
05:20of having decent, clean, and safe sanitation facilities.
05:24The community is now beginning to work hand-in-hand
05:26to maintain existing sanitation facilities.