DECISION

REGARDING ISSUING THE SECTOR STANDARDS: HYGIENE STANDARDS FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF LATRINES

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH

- Pursuant to the Law on Protection of People’s Health dated 07/11/1989;
- Pursuant to Decree No. 49/2003/NĐ-CP dated 15/5/2003 of the Administration regulating functions, rights and duties and Public Health Ministry organisational structure;
- Pursuant to Decree No.104/2000/QĐ-TTg dated 25/8/2000 of the PM regardingapproval of the National Strategy for RWSS uo to the year 2020;
- Based on suggestions made by the Department of Preventive Health and HIV/AIDSPrevention and Control of the MOH,

DECISION

Article 1. Issued alongside with this Decision the sector standards : Hygiene standards for the various types of latrines.

Article 2. This Decision shall be effective in 15 days after being published on Official Gazette.

Article 3. Department of Preventive Health and HIV/AIDSPrevention and Control of the MOH, shall have to organise and direct the implementation of this Decision

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Tran Chi Liem
(Signed)

HYGIENE STANDARDS FOR THE VARIOUS TYPES OF LATRINES
(Issued alongside with Decision No. 08/2005/QĐ-BYT dated 11/ 3/ 2005 of MOH)

I. GENERAL REGULATIONS

1. Definitions of words

Latrines mentioned in as per these standards comprising of: Double vaults on-site composting, underground pit with vent pipe, pour-flush latrine, and family septic tank latrine. Those latrines are regulated by the MOH as technically hygienic and the following requirements insured:

a) Human feaces isolated: feaces cannot be contacted either by human beings or by animals or insects;

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2. Scope of adjustment and subjects applied

a) Contents of these regulations describe the hygiene conditions of the latrines. Requirements on design, materials, sizes, construction techniques, sustainability and other criteria can be referred in MOH guidelines.

b) These regulations can be used to inspect, supervise, evaluate and classify the hygiene conditions of the latrines mentioned in this Decision.

II. DOUBLE VAULTS ON-SITE COMPOSTING

1. Regulations on construction:

a) Feaces comparment wall sealed, without leakage, impermeable;

b) Opening to remove feaces must be sealed with impermeable materials;

c) The floor, water trough and urine conduit to be smooth and well-drained;

d) Two feaces holes furnished with 2 covers;

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e) Vent pipe installed (double-vaults must have vent pipe) 9 cm diametre; at least 40 cm higher than latrine roof and screened net.

2. Regulations on use and maintenance:

a) Floor is clean, without paper, trash;

b) ’Dirtied paper’ to be placed through the hole or container with a lid;

c) Will not produce bad smelling;

d) No flies or insect to be found inside latrine;

đ) No use of two compartments at the same time;

e) Sufficient ’covering material’ supplied to cover up excreta after every use;

g) No mosquito lavae found in any of the water containers (if any) and in the urine can;

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i) The hole of the compartment in use to be always covered and the composting compartment sealed.

III. UNDERGROUND PIT WITH VENT PIPE

1. Regulations on construction:

a) Not to be built in areas that are usually flooded, or water logging;

b) at least 10 m away from source of drinking water;

c) The floor, water trough and urine conduit to be smooth and well-drained;

d) Feaces storage tank opening must be at least 20 cm above ground level

đ) Feaces hole supplied with a cover;

e) Well housed, protected from rainwater

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2. Regulations on use and maintenance:

a) Floor is clean, without paper, trash;

b) ’Dirtied paper’ to be placed through the hole

c) Sufficient ’covering material’ supplied to cover up excreta after every use;

d) Will not produce bad smelling;

đ) No flies or insect to be found inside latrine;

e) No mosquito lavae found in the urine can;

g) The hole of the compartment in use to be always covered.

IV. POUR FLUSH LATRINE

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a) Not to be built in areas that are usually flooded, or water logging;

b) at least 10 m away from source of drinking water;

c) Feaces compartment not to sink and walls at least 20 cm above ground level.

d) Cover of feaces compartment sealed and not cracked;

đ) Floor must be smooth level and will not have ‘tiny’ water pool (s);

e) The pan supplied with a ‘water plus’;

g) Water from feceas compartment or conduit must not be perpeable of spilled over the ground.

2. Regulations on use and maintenance:

a) Sufficient water provided, water container does not have mosquitoe larvae

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c) Floor is clean, not slippery, without paper, trash;

d) ’Dirtied paper’ to be placed through the hole or a container with a lid;

đ) No flies or insect to be found inside latrine;

e) The pan must be kept clean, no form of feaceas seen;

g) Latrine well housed, protected from rainwater.

V. SEPTIC TANK LATRINE

1. Regulations on construction:

a) ‘Treatment tank’ has 3 compartments;

b) Feaces tank storage not to sink;

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d) Toilet floor must be level and smooth, well-drained (slightly sloping);

đ) The pan must have a ‘water seal’

e) A vent pipe.

2. Regulations on use and maintenance:

a) Water for flushing in plenty, bucket for flushing not to contain mosquito larvae;

b) Will not produce bad smelling;

c) Water from treatment tank to run into the drain of soakage pit but not to the surrounding areas;

d) The latrine floor must be clean, not slipery, no paper or trash;

đ) Toilet paper is discarded through the faeces hole or a container with a lid;

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g) The pan is clean, no trace of feaces of any form

h) Latrine is well housed, protected against rainwater.