Bith Meas Primary School SWSM is one of the 69 operating DEWATS constructed with the support of BORDA in Cambodia.

Most wastewater from the primary school in Bith Meas Village in Siem Ream was discharged untreated into soak pit tanks and the surrounding environment. This threatened not only the health of the school children and teachers but also residents who lived near to the school. The existing toilet block in the school did not have sufficient hand washing facilities, gender separation, water supply, storage tank or proper pathway to the school toilets. This posed additional threats to privacy and security needs of the school children.

In order to address these problems, ESC-BORDA developed the School Based Sanitation (SBS) approach. The goal of this program is to improve the health, hygiene and sanitation situation in Cambodian schools. At the Bith Meas primary school, ESC-BORDA and partners constructed 3 toilets (1 disabled) with gender separation, 2 urinals, 6 hand washing sinks and 2 steel bars of group hand washing. The SWMS is designed to treat 1 m³ of domestic wastewater per day, 50% black water from toilets and urinals and 50% grey water from sinks and floor drains.
The SWMS effluent is discharged into 1 concrete cylinder tank from where the effluent overflows into a nearby discharge tank. The calculated effluent quality complies with the Ministry of the Environment´s regulations for wastewater effluent discharge. The SWMS is operated and maintained by the School Wash Committee and School Management of Bith Meas Primary School. The O&M staff have been trained by ESC-BORDA in all aspects of SWMS operation and maintenance, in-house management and O&M financial planning. There is a regular schedule for cleaning and checking that is followed by the operators.

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Community sanitationGroundwater protectionHealth and hygieneSpecific to one or several countriesToilets or urinals (user interface)Treatment of wastewater or greywaterTreatment of faecal sludgeDecentralised wastewater treatment (e.g. DEWATS)Other funding source or unspecifiedSchoolsPoliticians and local decision makersPractitionersInternational NGO

Related Countries

Cambodia