Knowra Pit latrine Pit latrine A sanitation system in which a toilet deposits human excreta into a pit beneath or near the user. Its design ranges from simple unlined pits to ventilated or lined systems.
Ventilated improved pit latrine : A pit latrine with a vent pipe and screened opening that reduce odors and control flies. Its vent pipe uses airflow to carry odors above the toilet and trap flies.
Excreta : Human urine and feces, either separately or together. Excreta are the material deposited and contained by a pit latrine.
Community-led total sanitation : An approach that mobilizes communities to end open defecation through collective behavior change. Programs may promote household latrines as communities replace open defecation with contained sanitation.
Open defecation : The practice of defecating in open spaces rather than using a toilet or latrine. A pit latrine offers a means of containing excreta instead of leaving it exposed in the environment.
Septic tank : An underground tank that receives household wastewater and partially treats it by settling and anaerobic digestion. It stores and treats wastewater in a tank rather than depositing toilet waste directly into a pit.
Pour-flush toilet : A toilet that uses poured water to move excreta through a water seal into a pit or sewer. It can discharge into a pit like a latrine, but water and a seal change waste transport and odor control.
Fecal-oral route : The transmission of pathogens from feces into another person’s mouth through contaminated hands, food, water, or surfaces. Poor containment or hygiene around a latrine can leave this transmission pathway open.
Emergency sanitation : Measures that provide safe excreta disposal during disasters, conflicts, or displacement. Rapidly installed pit latrines can provide basic containment when normal sanitation systems fail.
Sanitation worker : A person whose work involves collecting, transporting, treating, or disposing of human waste. Workers who empty pits face occupational hazards when waste is not safely managed.
Composting toilet : A toilet system that treats excreta through controlled biological decomposition, usually with little or no water. It aims to process waste in a managed chamber instead of relying on a simple disposal pit.
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