On a continent facing the triple challenge of demographic growth, climate change, and environmental degradation, access to safe water and sanitation in schools remains a structural gap. In regions like Bungoma (Kenya), where high water tables render traditional pit latrines unviable, children’s hygiene, education, and public health are under constant threat. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity for radical transformation: to redesign school sanitation using regenerative technologies, full traceability, and alignment with a new water economy.
This project is being implemented in 15 primary schools in the Kimilili subcounty, directly benefiting 14,664 people including students, teachers, and staff. It follows an integrated model combining rainwater harvesting and storage systems, sealed enzymatic biodigesters, and education in menstrual hygiene, handwashing, and student-led WASH governance. The solution not only prevents contamination of surface and groundwater sources, but also generates a valuable by-product, natural fertilizer, thus activating a virtuous cycle of health, school agriculture, and circular economy.
To give a tangible sense of scale, a school with 1,000 m² of roof area can collect up to 504,000 liters of rainwater annually, meeting 100% of the hygiene needs of 500 students. A 2.5 m³ biodigester can serve 25 users for at least three years without the need for emptying, significantly reducing the need for new latrine construction. The project’s positive impact is measurable under VWBA 2.0 methodology (captured volume, safe onsite reuse, contamination reduction), and auditable through the WASH Benefits Accounting framework for public health improvements. By meeting the principles of additionality, traceability, and intentionality, this intervention stands as a scalable solution for rural schools in water-vulnerable areas.
In many schools across Bungoma County, a silent water crisis persists: shallow contaminated wells, collapsed latrines due to groundwater infiltration, and girls missing class due to the lack of dignified menstrual hygiene spaces. This is not just an infrastructure failure, it is a systemic barrier to the right to education. Within this context, the opportunity becomes clear: to implement sanitation solutions that function under extreme conditions while integrating health, safe water, and education.
The project proposes installing school biotanks ranging from 1.4 to 3 m³, depending on the number of users, with sealed enzymatic digesters designed to resist groundwater and prevent leaks. These are paired with rainwater harvesting systems, 10,000 to 20,000-liter storage tanks, handwashing stations, and continuous training for teachers, caregivers, and students. Each school can recover over 250,000 liters of rainwater per year and transform up to 10 tons of sanitary waste into safe biofertilizer, equivalent to approximately 8,000 liters of reusable liquid fertilizer per school.
Immediate benefits include the elimination of contaminating pits, reduced school absenteeism due to illness or menstruation, activation of circular economy practices through school gardening, and lower operational costs through maintenance-free systems. This model is highly replicable in rural and peri-urban areas across Sub-Saharan Africa and can be led by companies with ESG goals in health, water, education, and equity. Strategically, supporting this platform positions partners as leaders in a necessary transition: ensuring no child ever misses school due to a lack of water or sanitation.
The Bungoma project integrates three key technological pillars: infrastructure tailored to vulnerable settings, decentralized effluent treatment, and circular reuse of sanitary by-products. Each school unit includes: (1) rainwater harvesting from school rooftops; (2) storage tanks (10,000–20,000 L); (3) handwashing stations; (4) biodigesters ranging from 1.4 to 3 m³ depending on school population; and (5) a data collection and monitoring system using digital surveys and geo-referenced photographic validation.
The biodigesters are sealed anaerobic units with no connection to the subsoil, fully preventing infiltration into the water table. This mitigates one of the main environmental risks posed by pit latrines, leaching into water sources. The systems are chemical-free, electricity-free, and low-maintenance, making them suitable for rural environments without infrastructure.
It is expected that new latrine construction needs will be reduced by 80–100% per school over five years. Rainwater harvesting may yield up to 500,000 liters per year on 1,000 m² of roof surface, enough to cover the hygiene needs of a 500-student school. This dual benefit reduces service interruptions, gastrointestinal disease, and school absenteeism, especially among menstruating girls.
Operational risks (e.g., overflow, vector presence) are mitigated through sealed digesters and maintenance plans validated by WASH clubs. Each school has designated personnel trained in cleaning, monitoring, and digital reporting. This guarantees system traceability, operational continuity, and continuous improvement.
The implementation follows a phased and adaptive approach, tailored to the specific conditions of each school while maintaining operational standardization. The process includes: (1) baseline diagnosis, (2) system installation and activation, and (3) monitoring, maintenance, and benefit validation.
The first phase includes a physical school survey (roof area, student count, existing latrines, previous water availability) and a WASH health and behavior survey. This sets system specifications and baseline data for VWBA and WASH BA indicators (access, behavior, impact).
Phase two involves installing rainwater capture (gutters, filters), food-grade plastic storage tanks (10,000–20,000 L), sealed polyethylene biodigesters (1.4–3 m³), and handwashing stations. All components are easy to install, require no underground work, and are community-maintainable. System activation includes staff training, WASH club formation, and hygiene practice simulations.
Phase three ensures continuous system monitoring through site visits and digital validation. Key KPIs include: liters captured per year, water interruption days, biodigester volume treated, user count, and reduction in health incidents. Physical monitoring uses level meters, visual checks, and spot microbiological tests. Digitally, georeferenced surveys, timestamped photos, and monthly operational reports are compiled.
An annual external audit validates VWBA principles (additionality, traceability, intentionality) and WASH BA indicators via surveys of students, teachers, and caregivers. Preventive maintenance includes monthly gutter cleaning and valve checks; predictive protocols review biodigester load levels every 12 months. Alarms and community alerts are triggered in case of overflow or malfunction, and NGOs provide technical backup.
This project redefines the standard of rural school sanitation by integrating: continuous access to safe water, elimination of contamination risks, reuse of sanitary waste, and community empowerment. In 15 schools across Kimilili subcounty (Bungoma, Kenya), integrated systems will be installed including rainwater harvesting, safe storage, decentralized treatment, and WASH education.
Technically, the system harvests rain from school roofs, channels it through filters, stores it in 10,000–20,000 L tanks for non-potable use (handwashing, menstrual hygiene, cleaning), and treats waste in sealed biodigesters without contaminating the ground. Stabilized sludge is used as biofertilizer for school gardens, closing the nutrient loop. The entire system is modular, replicable, and adaptable.
Expected results include: over 7.5 million liters of water recovered annually, safe treatment of more than 100 tons of sanitary waste, 80%+ reduction in the need for new latrines, lower absenteeism, and improved health indicators, especially for girls.
Strategically, the project proves that water benefits can be generated even without conventional networks, aligning with VWBA 2.0 (methods A-1, A-6, A-12) and WASH Benefits Accounting. It is replicable across Sub-Saharan Africa and aligns with WASH-in-Schools initiatives led by UNICEF, UNESCO, and local governments.
It brings environmental value (less contamination, more groundwater recharge), operational value (fewer water or sanitation disruptions), and reputational value for supporting companies and institutions. In the future, the model can scale to thousands of schools, turning every roof into a water source, every bathroom into a health node, and every student into an agent of change
