ROCLA, one of South Africa’s leading precast concrete manufacturers, is supplying 2,866 Twin Eco Leach Pit sanitation units to the eThekwini Municipality in support of its programme to provide sustainable sanitation solutions across the municipality.
Rocla’s precast concrete toilet unit was selected following the municipality’s pilot project phase. It is an eco-friendly, easy-to-install and cost-effective solution to the massive sanitation needs not only in eThekwini but across all of South Africa’s high-density urban and rural communities. “There is no reason for anyone not to have proper smell-free sanitation facilities. It is called human dignity,” said Andre Labuschagne, product development manager at Rocla.
The stand-alone unit has been developed to be used as a sustainable twin leach pit configuration but also remains upgradable to a full water-borne system should this become an option in the future. These sanitation units are safe, hygienic, fully functional and in many instances replace dangerous Pit toilet installations. They also function off the grid and use grey water for flushing.
The unit is supplied complete with an Agrément approved high quality, Polymer pivot door and Rocla’s proprietary 40L grey water cistern. To ensure the re-use of water as a scarce commodity, the Rocla proprietary 40L grey water cistern is fitted with a practical mini basin and an Agrément approved 10L clean water hand wash apparatus which allows the wastewater to drain into the 40L Rocla Proprietary cistern for flushing use. To add to this system, the Toilet structure comes standard with a Rocla Proprietary rainwater harvesting system that further adds to keeping the 40L cistern filled and ensuring that the system as a whole is a sustainable and user-friendly system.
Labuschagne said “The leach pits themselves are also available as polymer options for difficult terrain or can be manufactured from concrete to create maximum employment opportunities and these are then supplied together with the toilet unit. This provides a system in line with the Water Research Commission’s findings for a cost effective and viable on-site waterborne system”.
The unique Rocla Sanitation eco-friendly sanitation units are Agrément certified and through Rocla’s unique “community cast system,” jobs are created at all levels from casting right through to erecting. Each unit comprises only eight panels that make up the complete structure whilst offering a relatively large interior (900 mm wide x 1100 mm deep x 2000 mm high) which conforms to all relevant standards and offers the safety of a dual-opening locking system (ie they can be opened from the inside while locked from the outside).
“The sanitation units are easy and quick to install, and members of the community can be upskilled to self-install” concluded Labuschagne.
