Ergonomics in the Design of a Greywater Treatment System for an Urban Informal Settlement

Abstract

Greywater disposal in urban informal settlements currently leads to the presence of potentially harmful wastewater in the community. In this paper we describe how HFE contributed to the improved design of a nature-based solution, constructed wetlands, implemented for the channelling and treatment of greywater in an informal settlement. Using observational ethnographic activity analysis in two phases, HFE was used to identify human user interaction issues requiring redesign and to evaluate the effectiveness of the design recommendations. The paper demonstrates the value of HFE to the design team in getting community members to use the constructed wetlands and to provide additional services to the community not envisaged by the design team.