Splash improves sanitation through the rehabilitation of existing sanitation facilities as well as the construction of new sanitation facilities. This work is designed and completed with a focus on all of the users of the sanitation facilities: students, staff, and cleaners.

Determining if New Construction is needed: If a campus does not have enough existing sanitation fixtures(toilet stalls or urinal spaces) to meet Splash's minimum ratios (described in detail below), then Splash must construct or install additional sanitation fixtures at that campus to at least meet the minimum ratios. We determine if a campus needs new sanitation construction based on Splash’s minimum ratio between the site’s single largest shift student and staff populations by gender and the number of existing sanitation fixtures that are in safe structures.  Much like Splash’s standards for drinking water and handwashing implementations, Splash also has a minimum ratio for sanitation fixtures to users:

• For male students, we have set the minimum ratio at 1 sanitation fixture per 75 male students. 
• For female students, we have set the target ratio at 1 sanitation fixture per 70 female students. 
• For staff, we have set the target ratio at 1 sanitation fixture per 75 male staff, and 1 sanitation fixture per 70 female staff.

For all of these population based ratios, we use the single largest shift population.  

We also restrict the counting of urinal spaces to no more than 3 urinal spaces per 2 toilet stalls (1.5 : 1). 

• For example, at a school that has a single largest shift male population of 550 male students, we would need at least 8 sanitation fixtures to serve the male students (550 divided by 75 equals 7.33, and as always, we must round up to the nearest whole number).
• These 8 required sanitation fixtures could be: 8 toilet stalls, 4 toilet stalls and 4 urinal spaces, or 3 toilet stalls and 5 urinal spaces. However, having less than 3 toilet stalls would be unacceptable (even if the site had over 5 urinal spaces) since the number of urinal spaces must be equal to or less than the number of toilet stalls.  
• If this site had 6 existing male student toilet stalls, then Splash would rehab those six toilet stalls and then construct two new urinal spaces.  If instead this site had only 2 existing male student toilet stalls, then Splash would rehab those two toilet stalls and also construct at least 1 new male student toilet stall and 5 urinal spaces.

 Splash should always try to install urinal spaces up to 1.5 times the number of toilet stalls to meet the required minimum number of sanitation fixtures.  

Urinal spaces are typically much cheaper to construct and use less water than toilet stalls.  Also, urinals allow Splash to divert the urine away from a septic pit and to a more desirable treatment location.  For these reasons, Splash should always construct urinal spaces to help meet the minimum ratios for sanitation.  We must always provide enough toilet stalls for safe defecation, and that is why we limit the number of urinal spaces (that can count towards meeting the minimum ratio) to 1.5 times the number of toilet stalls.

A brief table is below to demonstrate the target toilet stall and urinal space numbers for male users:

Existing sanitation fixtures count towards meeting the target ratio if the existing sanitation facilities where they are located are structurally safe and can be rehabilitated or repaired to meet all Splash standards on sanitation quality. Whenever target ratios are not met by existing sanitation facilities alone, Splash must construct additional sanitation fixtures in order to meet Splash’s minimum ratios, even for staff.

In some cases, new sanitation construction is not possible due to physical space constraints at the site. If there are physical space constraints or other issues that will not allow us to meet all sanitation minimum ratios, then the local WASH Infrastructure Lead must contact the global WASH Infrastructure Lead about the situation.

If a campus has physically separated grades or groups of students (such as: a separate kindergarten area), then the above ratio calculations need to be applied to each physically separate group of students and staff on that campus separately.  

• For example, consider a school that has a physically separate kindergarten from the primary school and the population consists of: 100 female KG students, 90 male KG students, 5 female KG staff, 3 male KG staff, 380 female primary students, 350 male primary students, 15 female primary staff, and 20 male primary staff. 
• This school would need 2 female KG student toilet stalls, 1 male KG student toilet stall, 1 male KG student urinal space (or an additional 1 male KG student toilet stall), 1 female KG staff toilet stall, 1 male KG staff toilet stall, 6 female primary student toilet stalls, 2 male primary student toilet stalls, 3 male primary student urinal spaces (or an additional 3 male primary student toilet stalls), 1 female primary staff toilet stall, and 1 male primary staff toilet stall.
• If any of the above types of toilet stalls or urinals are not present at the site, then Splash must construct new toilet stalls and/or urinals to meet these numbers.

The required number of sanitation fixtures that Splash must install at a site is always and only based on the above ratios, calculations, and process.

Splash is committed to bringing improved sanitation to every partner site and to every person at each partner site. This commitment means that we have written guidelines for constructing sanitation facilities that provide services for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).

Planning for Children with Special Needs Sanitation:

For this section, the Children with Special Needs will be assumed to be those with physical mobility limitations such as users in wheelchairs or on crutches.  

Every campus must have at least 1 CWSN toilet stall for each gender on that campus.  For specialty schools or any other school that has a need for additional CWSN toilet stalls, then the local Infrastructure Lead would work with that school to determine the proper number of additional CWSN toilet stalls at that school. If a school needs a new CWSN toilet stall but does not need additional new toilet stalls to meet Splash’s minimum sanitation ratio, an existing toilet stall could be retrofitted to become a CWSN toilet stall as long as it can meet the door width and stall dimension requirements.

A CWSN toilet stall must have the following characteristics: 

• a seated toilet, 
• grab bars along each wall leading to the toilet, 
• a framed stall door that is wide enough to accommodate a full size wheelchair, 
• stall dimensions to allow for a full size wheelchair to turn and move without hitting the seated toilet,
• ramped access from the special needs classroom to the stall.

Sanitation Infrastructure for Menstrual Hygiene Management:

Every female staff toilet stall must be equipped to be an MHM stall.  If a site has female students age 10 or older, then every female student toilet stall at that site must also be equipped to be an MHM toilet stall.  This requirement includes both newly constructed toilet stalls and rehabbed toilet stalls.

A Splash MHM toilet stall must include the following components: 

• water tap, 
• wall-mounted soap dish, 
• wastebasket for menstrual health products, 
• small shelf, 
• wall-mounted hook for clothing or bags, 
• a lockable corrosion-resistant stall door.  

Every sanitation facility with MHM toilet stalls inside it must also have a full-length mirror in the hallway as well as a wastebasket for non-MH related waste.

There should not be any signage indicating that the stalls or sanitation facility are for MHM purposes.

Gender Segregation and Coed Stalls: 

All sanitation facilities serving users older than kindergarten must be gender specific. The sanitation facility must have separate entrances for each gender and must have clear signage indicating gender restrictions.  There should never be shared (aka Coed) sanitation facilities for users older than kindergarten.  At kindergartens, the local Infrastructure team should speak with the site management to determine if they would rather have gender segregated or Coed sanitation facilities.

Existing Coed sanitation facilities can be made into male-only or female-only depending on the site’s needs. Also, during rehab, an existing sanitation facility can be switched from male to female or female to male based on the site’s needs.  Existing staff sanitation facilities can also be switched for student use, or the other way around.  There should not be both female and male toilet stalls within the same sanitation facility unless there is a full privacy wall between them as well as separate entrances for each gender.  The local Infrastructure Team should work with site management to communicate and maintain the proper male/female and staff/student designations for each sanitation facility and each toilet stall within each facility.

Showers: Splash does not currently have a standard for the number or quality of showers inside sanitation facilities.  The local Infrastructure Team is responsible for determining if showers are necessary at each site. The local Infrastructure Lead must consult with the global Infrastructure Lead before constructing or rehabbing more than 1 shower per 300 users (single largest shift) at a site.

On a global scale, all Splash implementations should be completed to the same high level of quality. This is much more easily achieved for drinking water and handwashing implementations than sanitation implementations. Some sanitation implementations can require heavy construction, underground labor, and/or hazardous material handling. Meanwhile, other sanitation implementations require none of those categories of work. 

Each partner site is unique due to a large number of variables: site size, site type, quality and quantity of existing infrastructure, etc. These variables can have very large impacts on the costs and timelines of our planned sanitation work. However, regardless of the variables, we maintain that every Splash sanitation implementation, regardless if it is new construction or just rehabilitation, should provide access for all to the same high level of quality of sanitation as any of our other implementations around the world. A list of necessary categories and components for every Splash sanitation facility (rehab and new) can be found below:

All Splash New Construction and Rehab of Existing Sanitation Facilities Must Include or Account for each of the following:

Access for All - Access to the sanitation facility must be cleared and walkable with no hazards (standing water, large holes, etc.) or impediments to access.

Aesthetic Improvements -All sanitation facilities should be visually child-friendly and inviting.  This is to be achieved through painting, landscaping, and the design of the structure. Positive messaging can also be added.

Behavioral Nudges - In concert with the local and global Behavior Change Teams, the local and global WASH Infrastructure Teams will determine what behavioral nudges to install at each sanitation facility. Sanitation behavioral nudges can include: footsteps to handwashing stations, mirrors, stall doors that stay open when not locked, and janitorial logs.

Child Friendly Design - Every aspect and component of the sanitation facility must be designed and installed with the user in mind. One example, only toilet pans that are the proper size for the users should be installed, and the flushing mechanism must be able to be reached by the shortest user.

Cleaning Starter Kit -A cleaning starter kit consisting of cleaning supplies and tools must be provided to the cleaning staff at the school site at the end of every sanitation implementation. This kit will contain cleaning solutions, bucket, mop/broom, gloves, and any other items deemed necessary by the Local Infrastructure Team.

Contractor Oversight - Sanitation implementations often require external contractors to complete the complex work. The local WASH Infrastructure Lead is responsible for the oversight, inspection, and management of all contractors at the site.

Durable Functional Fixtures -All toilet pans and urinals must be durable enough to last for over 10 years in the environment in which they are installed. At damage-prone sites, ceramic (aka Turkish) fixtures should never be installed. If metal fixtures are to be installed, then they must not be able to rust or corrode even in the highly corrosive environment of the sanitation facility.  In order to reduce water usage and increase durability, cistern (aka pull) flush toilets should never be installed.

Fecal Sludge Management -The local WASH Infrastructure Team must consider the path of the fecal sludge and how it is to be transported. Connection to a city sanitary sewer system that includes safe off-site treatment is preferred where available. If on-site septic tanks or pits are to be used, then Splash must make sure that they are not leaking and that the school has pumper trucks able to empty the septic system when needed. Hand-emptying is never acceptable.

Gender Segregation -All sanitation facilities serving users older than kindergarten must be gender specific. The sanitation facility must have separate entrances for each gender and must have clear signage indicating gender restrictions.

Handwashing Stations -Every sanitation facility must have at least 1 handwashing tap per every three sanitation fixtures. These taps must be located within 5 m of the sanitation facility exit and placed in the direct line of sight and path of the average user as they exit the facility.

Inside Every Stall  Every stall must have an automatic shut-off tap, a bucket for flushing, a hook for hanging clothing or bags, a waste basket (specifically an MH waste basket in female stalls), durable pan, lighting (incl. natural), and ventilation.

Lighting - Natural lighting through the use of wall openings or translucent roofing is preferred to electrical lighting. Regardless of the source of light, all stalls must have sufficient light when the door is closed. An easy test is to check if a normal paper can be easily read when standing inside the stall with the door closed.

Menstrual Hygiene Management - Every female toilet stall at every site serving female beneficiaries age 10 or above must include the following components: tap, soap dish, wall-mounted hook, menstrual waste bin, and vessel for water. A full-length mirror must be installed inside each female sanitation facility as well.  Separate MHM rooms or MHM designated stalls are not acceptable.  The global and local MH teams will define if any other MH related infrastructure is to be installed in each specific city.

O&M Agreements  For every site, an operations and maintenance agreement must be written and signed with the school management. This agreement outlines the responsibilities of the school to clean the sanitation facilities, and to seek technical assistance if those facilities become clogged or otherwise non-functional.

Pest Prevention - The local WASH Infrastructure Team must determine the prevalence and type of pests that may be present at a site. For example: if insects are typically present, then placing fly-screens (mesh) over the pit vent-pipes is one measure to prevent insects from colonizing the septic pit.

Privacy - Walls, Doors, Locks -Every stall must have a door (with no holes) that closes completely and is able to be locked from the inside of the stall. All walls and doors of every stall must be high enough to provide privacy to the user. Doors, frames, and door hardware should always be corrosion-resistant, and uncoated corrugated sheet metal doors should never be used.

Safe Structures -Splash never repairs or rehabilitates the toilets inside a structurally unsafe building. The local WASH Infrastructure Teams are responsible for certifying the structural safety of all sanitation facilities.  Splash should always try to demolish structurally unsafe sanitation facility structures, and our Local Infrastructure Teams should work with the site management for permission to demolish.

Secondary Interior Drainage -All sanitation facilities with an interior room or hallway leading to the stalls must have at least one floor drain in that interior room or hallway. This drain must have a diameter of at least 1.5” and be protected with a drain cover.

Site Improvements -The local WASH Infrastructure Lead must inspect the site surrounding the sanitation facility in consultation with the site management to determine if there are other improvements that need to be made while the contractors are on site. In the past, these have included: creating a second school entrance, moving water storage tanks, and maintaining drainage channels.

Stormwater Management All sanitation facilities must have a functional, non-leaking, and durable stormwater management system.  Typically, this consists of the roof, gutters, downspouts, and a defined pathway and destination for the stormwater.

Staff Sanitation  Every site must have a sufficient number of sanitation fixtures to meet Splash’s minimum ratios for staff.  Splash is responsible for rehabbing existing staff sanitation and constructing new staff sanitation as necessary.  Staff sanitation fixtures can either be located alongside student sanitation or it can be physically separated.

Stalls for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) Every site must have at least one stall for each gender that will be specially fitted for users with mobility limitations. The local WASH Infrastructure Team will determine if more than one CWSN stall is needed at specialty or very large school sites. These stalls must have grab rails placed along the walls, a seated toilet, and a ramped access path from the special needs classroom to the stall.

Surfaces that are Easy to Clean -Every toilet stall must have a smooth, easy-to-clean surface installed on the floor and at least the lowest 1 m of the three non-door walls. The surface installed on the floor must be non-slippery, even when wet. Surface options include tiling and high polish/finish concrete.  All tiles, corners, and floor-wall edges must be caulked or grouted to eliminate cracks/gaps, to prevent mold growth, and to facilitate cleaning.  

Urinals -Whenever culturally appropriate and physically possible, urinal spaces are to be installed at a site in a quantity between 1 to 1.5 times the number of toilet stalls. All urinal walls must be covered in tile, or made from a different smooth, easy-to-clean material. All urinals must have drain covers, cleanouts, and equipment for easy flushing.

Ventilation -All stalls must have at least two wall openings, preferably on different walls, to allow for airflow. The total wall opening area on each wall must be equal to or greater than the area of a standard (A4) sized sheet of paper.

Water Supply -Every sanitation facility must be connected to a water storage tank.  In water scarce cities such as Addis Ababa and Kathmandu, a secondary source for flushing water must be included.  This could be a barrel or other vessel located in a hallway of the sanitation facility.

Additional specifics of conducting sanitation construction and rehab work on site can be found in the Sanitation New Construction and Sanitation Rehab standards.