Condominial sewerage explained
Condominial sewerage is the application of simplified sewerage coupled with consultations and ongoing interactions between users and agencies during planning and implementation.[1] [2] [3] The term is used primarily in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, and is derived from the term condominio, which means housing block.
From a pure engineering perspective there is no difference between designing a regular sewage system and a condominial one. However, bureaucratically a condominial system includes the participation of the individuals and owners who will be served and can often result in lower costs due to shorter runs of piping. This is achieved by local concentration of sewage from a single "housing block". Thus a number of dwellings are grouped into a "block" known as a condominium. The condominium may share no other aspects of ownership or relation except geographic proximity. In addition, individuals and owners may share a role in the maintenance of the sewers at the block level.[3]
Notes and References
- Web site: Esgoto Condominial. Portuguese. Companhia de Saneamento Ambiental do Distrito Federal.
- 2014 (retrieval date), World Health Organization, Sanitation challenge: Turning commitment into reality, Accessed June 9, 2014, "...condominial sewers in Latin America... In Brazil, an alternative approach was developed more than 20 years ago and is now adopted as standard in many cities and towns. Condominial approaches are cheaper to build and operate than conventional systems..."
- Anurodh Lalit Jain, April 29, 2012, The Hindu, Breaking the sanitation taboo, Accessed June 9, 2014, "...Brazil developed a condominial approach or simplified sewerage to construct water and sewerage networks ... Condominial sewerage is a low-cost sewer system that emphasises on community participation in planning and the maintenance of sewer system at the block level. Brazil quickly operationalised a 1,200-km network of condominial sewers, the largest example of simplified sewerage in the world...."
