Keeping Gray Water out of the Streets: A Randomized Experiment on Sanitation in Senegal
Faculty Research Grant
Homes in Senegal’s slums rarely have septic or sewer systems. Gray water (water used for laundry, cooking, and washing) is commonly thrown in the street which can cause flooding and local sanitation problems. While residents are aware that the improper disposal of household wastewater is a health problem, despite public health campaigns discouraging this behavior, few households have other options.
This project would take advantage of a cheap and easily executed waste water disposal system which requires little capital investment, and has been developed by environmental management practitioners for the area. We would examine take up among households in order to identify the impact of neighborhood risk factors in the decision of a household to take up a disposal technology which improves sanitation.
