Here are options for how the project director could involve the community in the facility:
- Discuss overall concept to determine level of community support.
- Discuss work plan and determine which parts the community might be able to undertake.
- Do the community survey (see below).
- Assist with security on site.
- Provide workers for construction from the community.
- Identify local personnel who could operate facility, and involve that person or group from beginning.
- During implementation/ construction meet with workers, technicians and community to review progress of work.
Here is a list of information required about the community:
- Legal status of area/settlement - who owns the land?
- Total area of the community,
- Number of houses
- existing
- planned in the next 5 years (approximately) - Approx. number of inhabitants (total; age groups 0-3, 4-15, 16-21, 21-60, 61 and older)
- How many inhabitants leave the community for more than six hours every day?
- Average size of houses (number of rooms, inhabitants per house)
- How many houses are linked to collection system?
- What other types of wastewater disposal exist other than collection system (e.g. septic tanks)? short description
- Does rainwater go into collection system? How many of the houses discharge rain water into collection system?
- How is the drinking water provided?
- How many of the houses have businesses in their house (bar, repair shops etc.)? What kind of businesses?
- How many houses have animals in the yards (pigs, chickens etc.)? approx. total number of animals and kind.
- What do people do with the animal waste? Is animal waste discharged into wastewater disposal system?
- How many houses have gardens in their yards? How many have compost heaps in their yard?
A sample questionnaire to obtain information from each household is available in the European Commission publication 'Guide to Wastewater Recycling in Tropical Regions'.