Sanitary services

26. Type of service

In this section, we investigate the existence and characteristics of some of the services that should be in every dwelling, such as water, drains, lighting, etc.

b) Sanitary services:

[p. 28]

In this section of the form, we investigate three aspects:

1) Type of service: it refers to the type of installation used for the elimination of fecal materials in the dwelling;
2) Use of service: it refers to the use of that installation (private or collective); and
3) Type of sewer: it is the place where the sewer drain of the sanitary service is connected.

Type of service (line 26):

To investigate the type of service, we have left four lines requiring that only one small box be marked. Those options are:

Toilet: it corresponds to the installation through which fecal materials are eliminated by using pressurized water (can be from a high or low tank) that drags them to a public sewer system, a septic tank, or an absorbent well. The toilet bowl is connected to the sewer through a siphon that prevents bad odors from returning.

Washable outhouse: This installation is generally made up of a well of small or median depth, at whose base there is running water, either continuous or intermittent, which removes the materials from the site. Commonly the upper part is made up of a wooden board or a cement slab. In our country, this type of washable outhouse is commonly called pit latrine, but it will only be considered in this category if there is the water system as described. If the outhouse is not like this, it will fall into the following category.

Pit well: installation similar to the above, but with the difference that there is no running water, therefore the contents disappear slowly through the absorption through the walls of the well or through biochemical processes.

None: if there is not any facilities of the above mentioned, used for the elimination of fecal materials, you will mark this small box.

If in the dwelling there is two or more classes of sanitary services simultaneously, you will mark the first one that appears in the column. Therefore, if in a dwelling in addition to the toilet there is also a washable latrine, you will only mark the first one.