Engineering Dignity: NUST Marks World Toilet Day 2024

In 2025, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) commemorated World Toilet Day with a focused and technically driven event that spotlighted sanitation as a cornerstone of public health and sustainable development. What is often overlooked as an ordinary fixture became the centre of serious engineering dialogue.

Students explored the hidden hydraulics behind sewerage networks, examining how gravity-driven systems rely on precise gradients to achieve self-cleansing velocity and prevent blockages. Discussions covered invert level calculations and the importance of accurate design in maintaining continuous flow across urban landscapes. The message was clear: sanitation infrastructure is a discipline of precision where errors have direct public health consequences.

The programme also unpacked wastewater treatment processes, from primary removal of solids to secondary biological treatment using activated sludge, and tertiary disinfection through UV or chlorination. Concepts such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) reinforced the scientific basis behind safeguarding rivers and drinking water sources.

Grounded in Zimbabwe’s realities, the event addressed ageing infrastructure, the need for rehabilitation of legacy sewer systems, the role of decentralised solutions like biodigesters, and the urgency of water-efficient sanitation in a water-scarce context.

Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 6, the event challenged future engineers to solve the “last mile” problem of delivering safe sanitation for all. In 2025, NUST did more than observe World Toilet Day; it reinforced sanitation engineering as a national priority and a professional responsibility.