Wastewater Management in Third World Cities: Case Study of Cotonou, Benin

Poor wastewater management coupled with lack of sanitation facilities has aggravated the sanitation challenges in developing countries. This study was aimed at providing information on the current state of sanitation in Cotonou City through surveys. The most common sanitation facilities in the city were septic tanks, latrines and soakaway pits. Mechanical desulging was mainly used (94%) for desludging latrines and septic tanks with a frequency of less than once a year for 73% of the houses; manual desludging was most common for soakaway pits. 84% of sullage generated is disposed without treatment. The only existing stabilization pond plant, managed by a private company SIBEAU, is overloaded; the effluent is poor (up to 2250mg/l BOD5) and does not meet any quality standards. 96% of survey respondents recognise that the sanitation situation in the city is not good; it has to be improved by providing an appropriate and sustainable sanitation management system.