We developed a model that predicts pathogen flows through sanitation systems by leveraging data compiled through the Global Water Pathogens Project (www.waterpathogens.org). Our model estimates the overall log<sub>10</sub> reduction of pathogens throughout the service chain and allows users to assess the percent probability of achieving a desired log<sub>10</sub> reduction value. A web app is currently being designed to allow practitioners to use the model to make decisions about sanitation interventions with an understanding of their impact on the occurrence, fate, and transport of pathogens. The model includes the following components: pathogens excreted and contained onsite; separation of pathogens into liquid and solid fractions; pathogen transport and removal through the vadose zone; persistence of pathogens onsite prior to emptying; and reduction of pathogens during centralized treatment. The model predicts pathogen emissions to groundwater, to local surface water, and to receiving waters or resource recovery operations. These outputs will be used to support an existing pathogen emissions mapping tool that has been implemented globally and at a regional level in Uganda. In this presentation, we will discuss the sensitivity of the pathogen flow model to its different inputs. We will also demonstrate the use of the model for a case study in Kampala, Uganda, for a system that treats both sewage and fecal sludge, using data from the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) and from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Uganda.

Development of a pathogen flow model for risk-based sanitation safety planning and mapping

2019 Fall National Meeting

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