A lot of areas in resource poor settings in developing countries experience shortage of clean water to drink. People resort to drinking from unsafe sources and this poses a high risk of diseases. This does not happen only in rural areas, but also in urban setting where delivery of safe water is compromised by poor planning and lack of funding to purify the water. Usually this is also associated with poor waste disposal which triggers a vicious cycle causing mortality and morbidity. Here we look at challenges causing lack of access to clean water in developing countries and methods used to make unclean water safer. There has been a rise in contaminated boreholes in urban areas as explained later.
The list of unsafe water sources used by people include:
1. Contaminated boreholes in urban areas
2. Unprotected wells that are not covered
3. Shallow wells dug at river banks
4. Contaminated rivers and dams
These boreholes have to be decommissioned and if new boreholes are to be drilled, strict guidelines have to be followed to minimize the risk of contamination.
Cost: The local authority has to carry out the process and mobilize funds to close off the boreholes.
Since the water sources mentioned above have a high risk of contamination, it's important to boil the water before drinking it. This has to be done properly else some bacteria are not killed, especially for those sourcing water from contaminated boreholes in urban areas. To purify the water:
Cost: Firewood or electric stove can be used to boil the water and most households already use these resources for cooking.
Water from unsafe sources needs to be treated. Household products like bleach can be used to purify the water. It is recommended that you use clear bleach not the colored variety. Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which is is a powerful antibacterial agent. To purify the water:
Cost: Bleach is a common household product used for laundry and cleaning
I highlighted in section C that a person with dirty hands can introduce infection in water when a cup used is submerged to retrieve drinking water from the container. This is avoided by modifying the container with addition of a cheap plastic tap. This ensure that everyone has to open the tap to get water, hence it remains sealed and protected inside the container.
This strategy is my focus as it's very cheap yet it can cut the number of new cases of diarrheal diseases significantly. The water in such containers is mainly for drinking, cooking, washing hands or washing food. If every household in areas without water gets that, it goes a long way keeping the households safe. I carried out a mini-survey in an urban area which has water shortage for years and the residents use simple containers without any tap, to store water. Donating these modified containers to every household is a noble thing.
Cost: A plastic tap costs less than $2 and labor should be equally affordable.
In conclusion, the post shows how critical it is to provide clean water in developing countries. There are technologies that have been developed to purify water and the high cost hinders widespread implementation of these innovations. Contaminated boreholes in urban areas have contributed to rise of serious waterborne diseases like cholera. The full list of the other water purification devices and systems is discussed in another post.
The issue of contaminated boreholes in urban areas was covered in local paper.
A. Common diseases associated with drinking dirty water
Lack of clean water in developing countries has caused the rise of these diseases:1. Cholera
This is a deadly disease, caused by Vibrio cholerae,which affected urban areas in Zimbabwe leading to loss of lives. Chronic shortages of running water led to the introduction of community boreholes in high density suburbs. These contaminated boreholes in urban areas have been the major cause of spread of the disease. Unfortunately, these were contaminated and triggered the disease, leading to deaths. Waste disposal in the country is compromised by lack of funds by the government.2. Typhoid
Typhoid also affected urban areas in Zimbabwe and is caused by Salmonella. Poor sanitation and lack of clean water are the major factors triggering the spread of the disease. This is also coupled with contaminated boreholes in urban areas, making the situation worse. Unfortunately, a person can be a carrier of the disease, spreading it while asymptomatic. Tough economic times have led to increase of unregistered food outlets and vendors. Infection is transferred through consumption of food not properly washed or food contaminated by flies etc.3. Dysentery
This is another disease similar to cholera and typhoid. It is caused by Shigella, and has a similar way of spread.4. Helminthiasis
Another disease that plays havoc when water is scarce is helminthiasis. This refers to various worm infestations and the commonest is the roundworm. Consuming contaminated water leads to ingestion of eggs and worms develop in the alimentary canal. Then the infected person starts to shed adult worms or eggs and the cycle is repeated if the eggs are ingested again.5. Other diarrheal diseases
Escherichia coli one of bacteria found in the colon which causes diarrhea. Levels are high in water bodies that are contaminated with sewer and diarrheal diseases are common if the water is not adequately treated. These diseases are also associated with poor socioeconomic status, leading to lack of access to clean water in developing countries.B. Water sources people are using
Due to the factors highlighted above, people resort to other means of getting water. Water is essential and used for various household purposes like:- Drinking
- Bathing
- Cooking
- Watering gardens
- Washing clothes
The list of unsafe water sources used by people include:
1. Contaminated boreholes in urban areas
2. Unprotected wells that are not covered
3. Shallow wells dug at river banks
4. Contaminated rivers and dams
C. Where is the water stored?
In most cases when there is water shortage people collect water from the sources listed above and store it in containers or reservoirs at home. This is in the form of:1. 25 litre containers or similar containers
A family may have several of these containers and retrieve the water per rising need. They have a lid that is closed tightly and water for drinking is either transferred to smaller containers like 2 litre containers or in some cases water for drinking is directly taken from the container with a cup. This poses a health risk because:- If the person using the cup has dirty hands, pathogens are left in the container because the process involves submerging the cup to get the water. This means the rest of the household will be drinking infected water.
- The lid has to be properly closed so that there is no contamination. Flies carry diseases and if they come into contact with the water harmful bacteria contaminate the water
- Plastic containers stored in areas with a lot of light cause algae and other phytoplankton to thrive and the water becomes unsafe for consumption.
2. Large water tanks
Usually those who can afford fill reservoir large tanks (>1000 litres) which is usually connected to the water system. This means running water can come out of the tap as long as it is available in the tank. Unfortunately, the majority of households use the first method and cannot afford installing large tanks.D. How make the water safer
The definitive solution to the problem of water crisis involves the responsible authorities mobilizing funds to deliver safer water to the people. The obvious benefits of clean water in developing countries are reduced risk of infectious diseases and improved standard of living. However, this takes time, given the challenges already bedeviling the countries in other critical sectors and lack of those funds. Therefore it's best to look at simple strategies that can be implemented imediately by families so that the water they drink is safer. This also involves the local authorities playing a part to ensure that this is done at a larger scale. The strategies are as follows:1. Contaminated boreholes in urban areas
Like I said, in Zimbabwe there has been a rise in the number of community boreholes in high density suburbs due to lack of running water. Unfortunately, due to congestion, most of them are contaminated and the water is unfit for drinking. This has led to outbreaks of diseases mentioned above as people have no other water source.These boreholes have to be decommissioned and if new boreholes are to be drilled, strict guidelines have to be followed to minimize the risk of contamination.
Cost: The local authority has to carry out the process and mobilize funds to close off the boreholes.
2. Boil water drinking and cooking before storing it
Since the water sources mentioned above have a high risk of contamination, it's important to boil the water before drinking it. This has to be done properly else some bacteria are not killed, especially for those sourcing water from contaminated boreholes in urban areas. To purify the water:
- Bring water to roaring boil for about 3 minutes
- Let it cool
- Fill a container to the brim
Cost: Firewood or electric stove can be used to boil the water and most households already use these resources for cooking.
3. Water treatment
Water from unsafe sources needs to be treated. Household products like bleach can be used to purify the water. It is recommended that you use clear bleach not the colored variety. Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which is is a powerful antibacterial agent. To purify the water:
- Assuming you have 8.25% hypochlorite
- Use a dropper for measurements
- For every litre of water add 2 drops of bleach
- For 8 gallons (about 30 litres) of water add 1/2 teaspoonful of bleach
- Let it sit for 30 minutes
- Store the water for use
Cost: Bleach is a common household product used for laundry and cleaning
4. Add a tap to storage containers
I highlighted in section C that a person with dirty hands can introduce infection in water when a cup used is submerged to retrieve drinking water from the container. This is avoided by modifying the container with addition of a cheap plastic tap. This ensure that everyone has to open the tap to get water, hence it remains sealed and protected inside the container.
This strategy is my focus as it's very cheap yet it can cut the number of new cases of diarrheal diseases significantly. The water in such containers is mainly for drinking, cooking, washing hands or washing food. If every household in areas without water gets that, it goes a long way keeping the households safe. I carried out a mini-survey in an urban area which has water shortage for years and the residents use simple containers without any tap, to store water. Donating these modified containers to every household is a noble thing.
Cost: A plastic tap costs less than $2 and labor should be equally affordable.
In conclusion, the post shows how critical it is to provide clean water in developing countries. There are technologies that have been developed to purify water and the high cost hinders widespread implementation of these innovations. Contaminated boreholes in urban areas have contributed to rise of serious waterborne diseases like cholera. The full list of the other water purification devices and systems is discussed in another post.
The issue of contaminated boreholes in urban areas was covered in local paper.