What should be done to dispose of greywater, or water from washing of
PPE, surfaces, etc. safely?
1 Answer
Current WHO recommendations advise to use chlorinated water (0.5%) to wash any reusable PPE (all disposable items should NOT be reused but disposed of safely), as well as surfaces that may have come into contact with bodily fluids (WHO, 2014). This concentration of chlorine is sufficient to inactivate the Ebola virus in water that is relatively free of solids (less than 10 mg/l). As such, this greywater, which has already been chlorinated does not need to be chlorinated or treated again. It is important however, that such water is disposed of in drains connected to a septic system, sewer or in a soak-away pit. If greywater is disposed of in a soakaway pit, the pit should be fenced off within the health facility grounds to prevent tampering and to avoid possible exposure in the case of overflow.
Source: WHO & UNICEF (Reviewed by MSF, CDC, and Tufts 2014) Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Key questions and answers concerning water, sanitation and hygiene
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