We will present findings from a study of water, sanitation, and hygiene services and behaviors for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Diego, California. Our goal for this study was to understand the relationship between homelessness and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services, and to conceptualize potential solutions that can satisfy unmet needs. Our team includes environmental engineers, a criminologist, and a public policy researcher specializing in health and human services systems.  People experiencing homelessness lack reliable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Homeless encampments along the river have been widely blamed for fecal contamination detected in the San Diego River. To better understand sanitation and hygiene practices of people experiencing homelessness, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 42 individuals currently or previously residing near the San Diego River. Themes from the interviews include: reasons for living near urban waterways, including policing activity and avoidance of shelters that are perceived as unsafe; survival strategies used to access water, sanitation, and hygiene services; and the conditions under which individuals engage in open defecation. We are using these findings to inform human service and engineering solutions to address the sanitation and hygiene needs of people experiencing homelessness.  Undergraduate students from multiple disciplines enrolled in two different courses (ENV E 320: Designing Solutions for Environmental Problems and ENV E 555: Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems) interviewed local government officials and non-profit service providers to get feedback on the feasibility of different mobile and permanent design alternatives, and to learn why certain technologies such as Porta-Pottys and public restrooms have failed to meet this need in San Diego. Students also analyzed the potential for alternative technologies to meet the water and sanitation needs of unsheltered individuals, including the Portland Loo, the Sanisette automated public toilet, and human excreta bags.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene for people experiencing homelessness: Transdisciplinary approach for developing sustainable solutions for unhoused individuals

2019 Fall National Meeting

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