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The North West Department of Local Government and Human Settlements in its mandate to provide quality service delivery to communities around Bokone Bophirima have embarked on finding alternative sanitation technology that will replace the current ventilated improved pit toilets that are currently being used.

The department has forged a relationship with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to help find new sanitation technology that is cheaper and easier to maintain, as most of the province is on dolomatic rock the current toilets that are used pose a serious threat of contaminating the ground and are expensive to maintain.

MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements, Fenny Gaolaolwe said “the main aim is to assist community members especially those living in rural areas have better sanitation facilities, but also to assist ease the burden on municipalities who have to spend money to hire honey suckers that are used to clean up after the current VIP toilets that are used’’.

The CSIR research facility will look at technologies such as water-borne systems, urine diversion and separation, ecological sanitation technologies that could be used by the department as they are conventional and easy to maintain.

Issued by North West Local Government and Human Settlements