Contamination of drinking water between source and point-of-use in rural households of South Africa and Zimbabwe: implications for monitoring the Millennium Development Goal for water

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Gundry
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Millennium Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Point Of Use

Contamination of drinking water between source and point-of-use in rural households of South Africa and Zimbabwe: implications for monitoring the Millennium Development Goal for water

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Gundry ◽  
James A. Wright ◽  
Ronan Conroy ◽  
Martella Du Preez ◽  
Bettina Genthe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Millennium Development Goal ◽  
Significant Deterioration ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Safe Water ◽  
Point Of Use ◽  
Quality Of Water

Aims: To assess contamination of drinking water in rural Zimbabwe and South Africa Methods: We conducted a cohort study of 254 children aged 12-24 months in rural South Africa and Zimbabwe. In dry and wet seasons, we measured water quality, using the indicator organism E. coli, at improved and unimproved sources, in household storage and drinking cups. We also recorded hygiene and socio-economic factors for each household. Results: For improved sources, samples with E. coli counts less than 10 cfu/100ml were as follows: at source: 165 (88%); in household storage 137 (59%); in drinking cups 91 (49%). The corresponding values for unimproved sources were: source 47 (29%); household storage 32 (19%); drinking cups 21 (18%). This significant deterioration in microbial quality of water from improved sources was seen in both countries and both survey rounds. Conclusion: Although improved sources generally delivered ‘safe’ water at the point-of-supply, 12% of source samples were contaminated and as such were ‘unsafe’. Furthermore, in household storage, more than 40% of samples were ‘unsafe’. For monitoring the Millennium Development Goal for water, UNICEF-WHO are assuming an equivalence between ‘improved’ sources and ‘safe’ water. Our findings suggest that this equivalence may be unsound.

scholarly journals Microbial quality of drinking water from groundtanks and tankers at source and point-of-use in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, and its relationship to health outcomes

Water SA ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
U Singh ◽  
R Lutchmanariyan ◽  
J Wright ◽  
S Knight ◽  
S Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Microbial Quality ◽  
Point Of Use

The uneven progress of sanitation in India

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arabinda Ghosh ◽  
Sandy Cairncross
Keyword(s):  
Close Association ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Millennium Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Urban Households ◽  
Present Rate ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Female Literacy ◽  
Do So

The 2001 and 2011 Census of India returns are used to document the proportion of households with access to a latrine on their premises, in the different regions, states and districts of India. While some states have already achieved coverage of 90% or more, in others the proportion served is as low as 22%. There are also wide disparities between urban and rural households. Overall, more than 81.4% of urban households, but only 30.7% of rural households have a latrine. The difference varies widely across the country. Coverage has increased by 10.5% over the decade from 2001. This progress also varied widely between states and between districts within each state; 6.3% of districts made negative progress during that period. The variation between states and districts means that some have already achieved the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of their population that lacks sanitation, while others, if they continue at the present rate, will not do so for many decades. Study of the causes of these differences offers the hope of finding ways to accelerate progress in the laggard states and districts. For example, we find a close association between district sanitation coverage and female literacy, suggesting an important role for education.

scholarly journals Inactivation of bacteria from contaminated streams in Limpopo, South Africa by silver- or copper-nanoparticle paper filters

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa A. Dankovich ◽  
Jonathan S. Levine ◽  
Natasha Potgieter ◽  
Rebecca Dillingham ◽  
James A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Copper Nanoparticle ◽  
Waterborne Pathogens ◽  
Point Of Use ◽  
Contaminated Streams ◽  
Inactivation Of Bacteria

There is an urgent need for inexpensive point-of-use methods to purify drinking water in developing countries to reduce the incidence of illnesses caused by waterborne pathogens.

scholarly journals Health implications of lipopolysaccharide endotoxins in domestic container water used by rural households in South Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 601-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Fosso-Kankeu ◽  
H. Du Preez ◽  
P. Jagals
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Source Water ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Healthy Persons ◽  
Container Type

This study assessed the occurrence of endotoxins, cyanobacteria and enterobacteria in untreated drinking water stored in domestic water containers by rural households in South Africa. Endotoxins, cyanobacteria, total coliforms and Escherichia coli were measured in the following numbers and ranges in container-water samples: 4–54 μg l−1, 69–64,505 cells ml−1, 9,000–280,000 CFU/100 ml and 90–1,100 CFU/100 ml, respectively, in source water and 0.23–24.7 μg l−1, 1–501,187 cells ml−1, 25–1,584,893 CFU/100 ml and 1–25,118 CFU/100 ml, respectively, in water from containers. The concentrations of these contaminants in water often exceeded guidelines. Container type, especially those that permit light into the vessel, played a significant role in the occurrence of these contaminants. Limited guidelines, as well as the absence of health evidence, make it uncertain whether the high levels of endotoxins in the containerised drinking water could cause a health effect in healthy persons. Most importantly, in the context of exposure to endotoxins potentially derived from high levels of cyanobacteria and enterobacteria such as coliforms in the water, a case is made for possible health effects in immune-compromised individuals exposed to water containing endotoxins and the bacteria that potentially produce it.

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