Assessing Septic Tank Desludging in Urban Areas for Safely Managed Sanitation

<p>Regular and well-planned desludging is crucial for maintaining septic tanks, which are widely used in low- and middle-income countries, to ensure that they function correctly and prevent sludge buildup. This study aimed to identify potential areas for intervention to improve safe sanitation access in the city by examining the relationship between sociodemographic factors and residents' awareness, willingness to engage in desludging practices, and on containment ownership. The study analyzed data on various sociodemographic factors, willingness to participate in desludging services, knowledge of emptying practices, and containment ownership, using descriptive and non-parametric correlation methods. Of the 443 records, 343 met the inclusion criteria for statistical analysis, and a review of 17 documents on domestic wastewater management in Indonesia was also conducted. This study found that most Semarang City residents have toilet and containment facilities, indicating that the city has a well-established transporting septage as part of safely managed sanitation services. However, regular desludging is not practiced as a standard, which suggests that the sanitation chain may not be safely managed. Only 24.2% of households performed desludging regularly, while 70.8% never did. The study also found that age played a significant role in determining people's decisions to desludge practices for their septic tanks. Most sociodemographic factors showed weak correlations with desludging knowledge and practices, except for age, which demonstrated a moderate association. This approach can help identify the most effective strategies for engaging residents in desludging practices and improving the overall state of sanitation in the city. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted awareness campaigns and affordable desludging services.</p>