Tsinjo Soa: Expanding Home Toilet Services in Madagascar

The vast majority of Madagascars 29 million people lack access to safe sanitation.

In addition to daily sanitation risks, Madagascars high water table is prone to flooding, which creates prime conditions for fecal-borne diseasessuch as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and dysenteryto spread.

Loowatt, a United Kingdom-based private company, has developed a waterless flush, container-based sanitation device that is not only hygienic and odor-free, but that also leaves a clean bowl after each flush.

With the press of a button, a polymer bag that lines the container is pulled down and sealed after each use, keeping the contents contained.

Loowatt SARL, a locally-run servicing company, clears the lined containers for an affordable monthly service fee and converts the waste into energy and fertilizer.

This patented, waterless flush technology is less expensive to install and maintain than traditional sanitation options, such as pit latrines and toilets with septic tanks.

With support from Development Innovation Ventures, Loowatt will expand its operations and demonstrate the financial viability of its subscription-based service model.

Compared with toilets connected to sewers, the Loowatt toilet could improve the lives of more than 100,000 people every day and save up to 50,000 liters of water per household per year.