Population and peak use determine demand better than building count alone.
RHELGAN · WASH PROJECT PLANNING
Humanitarian WASH systems: plan the service before the unit.
A strong WASH brief starts with people, water, sanitation, hygiene, safeguarding and operations. The correct toilet or shower block is an outcome of that planning—not the starting point.
SHORT ANSWER
Start with service demand and operating reality, not a catalogue of toilet blocks.
Use population, user groups, programme duration, water availability, wastewater route, accessibility, climate, cleaning capacity and site logistics to define the WASH pathway. Exact building modules, tanks, treatment and pumping systems should only be selected after those conditions are clear.
KEY PROJECT POINTS
What should drive the decision.
These are project inputs, not substitute engineering or automatic product approvals.
Water supply and sanitation disposal must be planned together.
Accessible, gender-sensitive and safeguarding requirements change the layout.
Emergency, transitional and long-term programmes should not share the same assumptions.
Cleaning, consumables, sludge/wastewater handling and operator capacity are part of the system.
Remote logistics and spares can be more important than lowest initial equipment cost.
COMPARISON
Use-case fit before product preference.
The table is deliberately directional. Exact configurations still require project and evidence review.
| Pathway | Best fit | Watch closely |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency / rapid deployment | Immediate response where speed, transportability and basic service restoration dominate. | Water haulage, waste removal, cleaning frequency, temporary foundations and upgrade path. |
| Transitional programme | Months-to-years programmes needing better durability, privacy, accessibility and utility coordination. | Future relocation vs permanent servicing, operator training and spare parts. |
| Long-term / community infrastructure | Schools, clinics, settlements and permanent community facilities. | Local code, durable water/wastewater services, lifecycle cost and local maintenance capability. |
Define the service population
Separate residents, staff, visitors, school users, clinic users and high-peak events. A single headline population can hide very different demand patterns.
- Day/night population
- Gender and age groups
- Accessible users
- Peak-hour use
- Growth allowance
Connect water, sanitation and hygiene
A toilet block is not a standalone product. Water source, storage, pressure, handwashing, showers, wastewater, sludge handling and drainage must form one service chain.
Choose the programme horizon
Emergency, transitional and long-term programmes justify different levels of permanence, redundancy, finish, foundations and local service integration.
Design for operation
Cleaning, consumables, desludging, pump maintenance, water testing, spare parts and operator responsibility should be defined before procurement.
PROJECT INPUTS
What to have ready before asking for the exact system.
A stronger brief shortens the gap between product interest and a useful technical/commercial response.
Country/site and programme owner
Design population and peak use
Programme duration
Water source and quality
Daily storage/autonomy assumptions
Wastewater / sanitation route
Accessible/gender/safeguarding requirements
Power availability
Climate/hazard exposure
Freight/site access
Operator/cleaning capacity
Local approval responsibilities
EVIDENCE BOUNDARY
UNHCR, Sphere and WHO are programme references—not product certifications.
Use current humanitarian and drinking-water guidance to frame programme requirements. Exact RHELGAN buildings, tanks, pumps, treatment systems and electrical equipment need their own exact-product evidence and local project review.
FAQ
Questions project teams usually need answered.
Can Apollo size a WASH programme from population alone?
Population is only the start. Use profile, peak demand, water source, wastewater route, cleaning capacity, climate and programme duration also matter.
Are RHELGAN WASH units UNHCR certified?
No blanket claim should be made. UNHCR guidance is a programme reference; exact product evidence must be checked separately.
Can the same WASH block work for schools and camps?
Sometimes, but the user profile, safeguarding, accessibility, peak use and maintenance model can be very different.