A Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) is one of the most important public health facilities any municipality can build. It is the place where the waste collected from septic tanks and pit toilets is brought, treated, and made safe for the environment.
Without an FSTP, lorries emptying septic tanks end up dumping waste in fields, rivers, or roadside pits. This contaminates soil, spreads diseases, and pollutes groundwater. So, yes, an FSTP is essential for any modern town.
But here is the critical part that many people do not know: an FSTP should never be placed near a drinking water source. This is not an opinion. It is a scientific fact supported by WHO, the Government of India’s CPHEEO guidelines, and Kerala’s own Suchitwa Mission norms.
What Exactly Does an FSTP Do? (Simple Explanation)
When septic tanks are cleaned, the sludge contains:
harmful bacteria
viruses
parasites
ammonia and nitrates
The FSTP takes this waste and treats it using biological and physical processes. At the end:
the water becomes safe to release to the environment
the solid residue can be used safely in agriculture
This keeps our surroundings clean and prevents diseases.
So What Is the Problem? Why Not Build It Anywhere?
Because even the best treatment plant carries a risk of leakage or accidental overflow.
If the FSTP is too close to:
a well
a public water tap
a canal or pond
a drinking-water pumping point
then even a small leakage can contaminate the groundwater. Once faecal matter enters the water table, cleaning it is nearly impossible.
This leads to outbreaks of:
cholera
hepatitis A and E
typhoid
diarrhoea
dysentery
No municipality can take that risk.
What Science Says About Safe Distance
1. WHO Guidelines
The World Health Organisation recommends that waste-treatment units be placed far away from drinking water sources to prevent groundwater contamination.
2. CPHEEO (Government of India) Norms
These guidelines clearly state that FSTPs must not be located near:
water bodies
wells
aquifers
flood-prone areas
residential areas
Minimum separation distance of 100 to 200 metres is suggested, depending on soil type.
3. Kerala Suchitwa Mission
Kerala’s own sanitation guidelines repeat the same:
locate FSTPs in non-residential, non-sensitive zones
avoid areas near drinking water points
avoid paddy fields and low-lying areas
avoid flood-prone locations
In many parts of Kerala, groundwater is shallow and soil is porous. This increases the danger even more.
Examples From Real Life
Across India and even abroad, there have been cases where:
heavy rain caused overflow from treatment plants
pipes leaked
tankers illegally dumped waste near the facility
power failures affected treatment efficiency
All these failures can be controlled only when the FSTP is located at a safe distance from drinking-water sources.
So What Is the Right Approach?
It’s simple:
Yes, an FSTP is absolutely needed.
But No, it should not be anywhere close to where people draw drinking water.
A correct site for an FSTP must be:
away from wells and public water sources
away from houses
in a non-flood area
with proper access for vacuum trucks
with enough buffer land around
This is standard scientific practice worldwide.
Why Citizens Should Care
If an FSTP is wrongly placed, the first people affected will be:
children
elderly
people relying on wells
those living near the site
Clean drinking water is a basic right. Once groundwater is polluted, the damage lasts for years.
Raising awareness is not about opposing development. It is about supporting development that is safe, scientific, and sustainable.
Final Word
A Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant is essential for the health of any town. It keeps our roads, fields, and rivers clean.
But building it near a drinking water source goes directly against:
WHO standards
Government of India engineering norms
Kerala sanitation rules
basic groundwater science
Good planning means doing the right thing, in the right place, with the right safeguards.
Let sanitation improve, but let our drinking water stay safe.
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