Pit emptying business model: lessons learnt from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

WaterAid Tanzania in 2007 tested and piloted the use of low cost sludge pump (Gulper) to empty pit latrines, and motorbike as a vehicle to transport sludge to the Waste Stabilization Ponds (WSP) or to a decentralised wastewater treatment (DEWAT) facility. In 2010, WaterAid supported four CBOs to scale up the pit emptying business model. They were given capacity building support including business development and access to credit. Two of the CBOS (UMAWA AND NUMAGRO) were given revolving loans by WaterAid and two (SHIMAWA and TFKM) were guaranteed to access loans from commercial banks. UWAMA also received support from BOARDA to build a DEWAT facility in its complex. UWAMA and NUMGRO are still in business whilst SHIMAWA and TFKM have stopped operations. This paper uses the Canvas business model to capture the project’s journey, key learning and challenges of the urban sanitation business model.