Drinking water quality for peri-urban residents in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Thomas ◽  
E. McBean ◽  
H. M. Murphy

Piped distribution systems are limited to major urban centres in Cambodia, leaving the residents of peri-urban communities to rely on a variety of surface, rain and groundwater sources for their drinking water supplies. This paper examines microbial water quality results from two of Phnom Penh's peri-urban communities, and describes relationships between water source and treatment type, study site and storage vessel, relative to water quality guidelines. Treating water by boiling was a common practice, although the majority of residents indicated using boiling times far greater than required, which may impact adoption rates. A statistical difference is described between boiled water by source type, with boiled shallow well water having elevated E. coli levels. The only household drinking water type that met WHO guidelines most of the time was boiled rain or tank (vendor) water (56%); boiled rain or tank (vendor) water stored in a kettle, bucket/cooler or bucket with spigot met guideline values 69, 43 and 60% of the time, respectively. The highest quality water is from boiled rain or tank (vendor) water taken directly from a kettle. The findings described provide some insight on how to prioritize water options for various uses.

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 580-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Mounce ◽  
John Machell ◽  
Joby Boxall

Safe, clean drinking water is a foundation of society and water quality monitoring can contribute to ensuring this. A case study application of the CANARY software to historic data from a UK drinking water distribution system is described. Sensitivity studies explored appropriate choice of algorithmic parameter settings for a baseline site, performance was evaluated with artificial events and the system then transferred to all sites. Results are presented for analysis of nine water quality sensors measuring six parameters and deployed in three connected district meter areas (DMAs), fed from a single water source (service reservoir), for a 1 year period and evaluated using comprehensive water utility records with 86% of event clusters successfully correlated to causes (spatially limited to DMA level). False negatives, defined by temporal clusters of water quality complaints in the pilot area not corresponding to detections, were only approximately 25%. It was demonstrated that the software could be configured and applied retrospectively (with potential for future near real time application) to detect various water quality event types (with a wider remit than contamination alone) for further interpretation.


Rangifer ◽  
2004 ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mika Sillanpää ◽  
Riina-Maarit Hulkkonen ◽  
Angela Manderscheid

The need for water quality research on the Tibetan plateau has arisen after the rangeland was allocated and leased as pasture grounds to individual nomadic families in the 1990s. These policies changed the access to water sources. The imposed fencing of the pasture tenures makes the situation even more delicate. Nomadic families are now obliged to use only water sources existing on their own site. The restrictions have caused the urge to use all available water, which resulted in increasing water quality and quantity problems. In the past, natural water sources were in common use. During the Collective era, machine-dug wells near the collective settlements facilitated the procurement of drinking water. Based on recent investigations in Dzoge county (Sichuan province), the nomadic families of some regions considered the availability of adequate drinking water for humans and animals as their biggest problem. For this study, eight water samples were collected from the Dzoge county area. All samples were from different kinds of sources, but all in continuous use by humans and animals. The samples were analyzed for typical potable water quality factors (hygienic and technique-aesthetic). The results show that the Chinese national guideline values were exceeded for NO4-N and PO4-P in most open sampling locations. Those parameters do not spoil the water by themselves, but together with suspended solids and organic materials produce a great environment for bacteria like E. coli and fecal streptococci to grow. The result analysis and pictures seen from the location reveal that bacterial growth may be the biggest problem in water quality. Even primitive protection around the water source (i.e. concrete rings, wooden barriers around edges, covers) seem to have a great impact on water quality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amadu Salifu ◽  
Helen M. K. Essandoh ◽  
Afsatou Ndama Traore ◽  
Natasha Potgieter

Abstract Regular monitoring of microbial quality of water used for drinking is an important aspect of public health. Microbiological quality, using a novel microbial water quality test kit – Compartment Bag Test (CBT; AguaGenX, LLC, Chapel Hill, NC, USA), and physical parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature and electrical conductivity) of 94 different water sources used by communities in the Ahenema Kokoben area of Ghana for drinking were tested. Using the WHO drinking water quality risk categories for the presence of Escherichia coli indicator bacteria, only 56% (53/94) of the water sources were safe for drinking, while 29% (27/94) of the water sources were classified as high risk and unsafe for human purposes. Some of the physical parameters were also higher than guideline values and could have been a contributing factor to poor water quality. Overall, the CBT proved to be a reliable alternative to traditional and laboratory-dependent microbial drinking water quality tests which can be easily used by water authorities to make sure that water is safe to drink.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Meirami Ikonena ◽  
Anna-Maria Hokajärvi ◽  
Jatta Heikkinen ◽  
Tarja Pitkänen ◽  
Robert Ciszek ◽  
...  

Physico-chemical and microbiological water quality in the drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) of five waterworks in Finland with different raw water sources and treatment processes was explored. Water quality was monitored during four seasons with on-line equipment and bulk water samples were analysed in laboratory. Seasonal changes in the water quality were more evident in DWDSs of surface waterworks compared to the ground waterworks and artificially recharging ground waterworks (AGR). Between seasons, temperature changed significantly in every sys-tem but pH and EC changed only in one AGR system. Seasonal change was seen also in the absorbance values of all sys-tems. The concentration of microbially available phosphorus (MAP, μg PO₄-P/l) was the highest in drinking water origi-nating from the waterworks supplying groundwater. Total assimilable organic carbon (AOC, μg AOC-C/l) concentrations were significantly different between the DWDSs other than between the two AGR systems. This study reports differences in the water quality between surface and ground waterworks using a wide set of parameters commonly used for monitor-ing. The results confirm that every distribution system is unique, and the water quality is affected by environmental fac-tors, raw water source, treatment methods and disinfection.


1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Kreisel

Water quality can affect human health in various ways: through breeding of vectors, presence of pathogenic protozoa, helminths, bacteria and viruses, or through inorganic and organic chemicals. While traditional concern has been with pathogens and gastro-intestinal diseases, chemical pollutants in drinking-water supplies have in many instances reached proportions which affect human health, especially in cases of chronic exposure. Treatment of drinking-water, often grossly inadequate in developing countries, is the last barrier of health protection, but control at source is more effective for pollution control. Several WHO programmes of the International Drinking-Water Supply and Sanitation Decade have stimulated awareness of the importance of water quality in public water supplies. Three main streams have been followed during the eighties: guidelines for drinking-water quality, guidelines for wastewater reuse and the monitoring of freshwater quality. Following massive investments in the community water supply sector to provide people with adequate quantities of drinking-water, it becomes more and more important to also guarantee minimum quality standards. This has been recognized by many water and health authorities in developing countries and, as a result, WHO cooperates with many of them in establishing water quality laboratories and pollution control programmes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 161-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.H. Heim ◽  
A.M. Dietrich

Pipe relining via in situ epoxy lining is used to remediate corroded plumbing or distribution systems. This investigation examined the effects on odour, TOC, THM formation and disinfectant demand in water exposed to epoxy-lined copper pipes used for home plumbing. The study was conducted in accordance with the Utility Quick Test, a migration/leaching method for utilities to conduct sensory analysis of materials in contact with drinking water. The test was performed using water with no disinfectant and levels of chlorine and monochloramines representative of those found in the distribution system. Panelists repeatedly and consistently described a “plastic/adhesive/putty” odour in the water from the pipes. The odour intensity remained relatively constant for each of two subsequent flushes. Water samples stored in the epoxy-lined pipes showed a significant increase in the leaching of organic compounds (as TOC), and this TOC was demonstrated to react with free chlorine to form trichloromethane. Water stored in the pipes also showed a marked increase in disinfectant demand relative to the water stored in glass control flasks. A study conducted at a full scale installation at an apartment demonstrated that after installation and regular use, the epoxy lining did not yield detectable differences in water quality.


2001 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Gauthier ◽  
B. Barbeau ◽  
R. Millette ◽  
J.-C. Block ◽  
M. Prévost

The concentrations of suspended particles were measured in the drinking water of two distribution systems, and the nature of these particles documented. The concentrations of particulate matter were invariably found to be small (maximum 350 μg/L). They are globally in the very low range in comparison with dissolved matter concentrations, which are measured in several hundreds of mg/L. Except during special water quality events, such as turnover of the raw water resource, results show that organic matter represents the most important fraction of suspended solids (from 40 to 76%) in treated and distributed water. Examination of the nature of the particles made it possible to develop several hypotheses about the type of particles penetrating Montreal's distribution system during the turnover period (algae skeleton, clays). These particles were found to have been transported throughout the distribution systems quite easily, and this could result in the accumulation of deposits if their surface charge were ever even slightly destabilised, or if the particles were to penetrate the laminar flow areas that are fairly typical of remote locations in distribution systems.


Author(s):  
Hew Cameron Merrett ◽  
Wei Tong Chen ◽  
Jao Jia Horng

The success of source protection in ensuring safe drinking water is centered around being able to understand the hazards present in the catchment then plan and implement control measures to manage water quality risk to levels which can be controlled through downstream barriers. The programs in place to manage source protection are complex sociotechnical systems involving policy, standards, regulators, technology, human factors and so on. This study uses System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) to analyze the operational hazards of a typical drinking water source protection (DWSP) program and identify control measures to ensure safe operations. To validate the results a questionnaire was developed and distributed to specialists in DWSP in Taiwan, Australia and Greece. Using Principle Components Analysis (PCA) of the questionnaire responses, the study identified four critical success factors (CSFs) for DWSP. The four factors identified are ‘Policy and Government Agency Support of Source Protection’, ‘Catchment Risk Monitoring and Information’, ‘Support of Operational Field Activities’ and ‘Response to Water Quality Threats’. The results of this study provide insight into the approach of grouping of source protection measures to identify a series of targeted CSF for operational source protection programs. Using CSF can aide catchment management agencies in ensuring that the risk level in the catchment is managed effectively and that threats to public health from drinking water are managed appropriately.


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