In a crisis, time is of the essence. Sanitation needs must be met, but there is little time to respond to the growing needs and even less time to think about the impact of decisions made quickly. Pits for latrines are frequently dug without careful consideration of the soil composition. Over time, unstable soil can result in a collapsed pit, putting latrine users and emptiers at risk and threatening public and environmental health.

Time taken to assess soil stability before building the latrines is time well spent. In this lesson, you will learn how to conduct a simple jar test to assess the soil composition. Later you can use the results from the test to determine an appropriate pit lining that will prevent collapse.