Advisory on Septage Management in Urban India

A major part of Urban India is yet to be provided with sewer system and the people are mainly dependent on conventional individual septic tanks. Census of India 2011 results show 30 million urban households (38 percent of urban households) have septic tanks. USAID (2010) estimates, that by 2017, about 148 million urban people would have septic tanks. Although the number of septic tanks will grow steeply in the next few years, there is no separate policy or regulation for septage management in India at present. The Manual on Sewerage and Sewage
Treatment, which is under revision, provides guidelines on construction of septic tanks, and brief guidelines on septage management. This document on septage management in urban India is providing the strategies and guidelines for the national level septage management. I gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO), Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry for revision and updating of the Manual on Sewerage and Sewage Treatment. This document will prove formidable for all the authorities involved in planning, designing, operation and maintenance of septic management facilities