Assessment of Fecal Sludge Containment Practices in Urban Areas of Bangladesh and Identifies Improvement Strategies: A Case Study of Savar Paurashava, Bangladesh

Abstract

Fecal sludge containment management remains a major urban sanitation challenge in Bangladesh, where most municipalities rely on onsite sanitation systems such as septic tanks and pit latrines. This study evaluates the existing fecal sludge (FS) containment status in Savar Paurashava and identifies practical improvement strategies for safe sanitation management. A mixed-methods research design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted. Quantitative data were derived from a household survey of 379 holdings conducted by Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) using stratified random sampling at a 95% confidence level. Qualitative information was obtained through field observations, Key Informant Interviews (KII), stakeholder consultations, and institutional review.
The findings reveal that 20.31% of surveyed households had no containment systems and discharged wastewater directly into drains, while only 30.87% used septic tanks. Among the septic tanks, merely 8.97% were connected to soak wells, whereas most discharged effluent directly into drains or nearby water bodies. The study further identified that the majority of septic tanks were undersized, lacked partition walls, and did not comply with Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) standards. Qualitative findings revealed weak institutional enforcement, inadequate technical supervision, low public awareness, and the influential role of informal masons in constructing non-standard containment systems.
The Fecal Waste Flow Diagram (FWFD) (commonly it termed as FSD) shows that the sanitation services in Savar Paurashava are not safely managed. The study recommends strengthening municipal regulatory enforcement, implementing the Paurashava Sanitation Management By-Laws 2021, establishing a Fecal Sludge Containment Management Committee (FSCMC), retrofitting defective systems, and improving technical training and public awareness. These measures are essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.2 and promoting environmentally sustainable urban sanitation in Bangladesh.