Annex 3 - Technical Guidelines

The UNHCR Handbook for Emergencies recommends a number of guidelines for refugee situations. It should be stressed that these are guidelines and not standards. They should be aimed for as a minimum.

Water

Quantity

Personal Consumption	15-20 litres/person/day
Health Centres	40-60 litres/patient/day
Feeding Centres	20-30 litres/patient/day

Quality

0-10	Faecal Coliforms/100ml	Reasonable
10-100	Faecal Coliforms/100ml	Polluted = Must Chlorinate
100-1000	Faecal Coliforms/100ml	Very Polluted
1000+	Faecal Coliforms/100ml	Grossly polluted

Access

* Distance to water point	100m maximum
Ratio of taps to users	1 tap/200-250 people

* This is a desirable distance. It has been shown that there is a reverse relationship between the distance people have to walk to collect water and the amount they use, i.e. the further away it is, the less they use. Many constraints will dictate just how far people have to walk. The rule should be to bring the water as close as is feasible, affordable and practical. It should be remembered that, unless good drainage can be provided, bringing water close to people may cause standing water and potential breeding points for mosquitoes.

Sanitation

For design purposes sludge accumulation rates per year inside pit latrines can be taken as:

Waste retained in water where degradable anal cleaning materials are used	0.04m3
Wastes retained in water where non-degradable anal cleansing materials are used	0.06m3
Waste retained in dry conditions where degradeable anal cleansing materials are used	0.06m3
Wastes retained in dry conditions where non-degradeable cleaning materials are used	0.09m3

(From Franceys, Pickford and Reed, 1992; Wagner and Lanoix, 1958 in Annex 1)

These rates relate to slow accumulation. Experience from emergency conditions has shown that accumulation is very much more rapid. For design in these situations consider multiplying the accumulation rate by 150-200%.

Siting

Distance to latrines	50m maximum (ideally)
Distance from shelters	6m minimum
Distance from water source eg. spring, tubewell	30m minimum

Space

This is included more in reference to environmental health than specifically to water and sanitation

Sheltered accommodation	3.5 m2/person floor space
Total space excluding provision for communal, agricultural and livestock.	30 m2/person