Guidelines for Smart Sanitation Technology

Maria Carnovale, Senior Policy Advisor at Katametron, runs a research project on Smart Sanitation Technology with the Pulte Institute for Global Development at the University of Notre Dame from October 10^th to December 4^th, 2022.

The project overviews the ethical and policy considerations that should guide the on-the-ground implementation of Smart Sanitation Technology (SST). SSTs are predictive analysis tools based on data collected by biosensors in the sewage system.  It is an emerging technology with the potential to enhance disease surveillance at the community level. Some of these tools have been piloted by jurisdictions for epidemiological monitoring. Nevertheless, SSTs present policy challenges that should be reflected in their legal and regulatory framework. SSTs are still underregulated. Interestingly, this seems to be hampering the adoption of SSTs solutions due to fear of backlash and swift policy changes. The objective of this work is to inform and guide an on-the-ground policy discussion.