A Household Based Safe Water Intervention Programme for a Slum Area in Bangladesh

Abstract

Water intended for human consumption should be both safe and wholesome. It also should be easily accessible, adequate in quantity, free from contamination and readily available throughout the year. In slum areas, so far too many people live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. In the present study, drinking water is an important route for transmission of diarrheal diseases, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children. A household based safe water intervention programme was conducted to determine the microbial quality of water in households and its relationship to source and storage devices. The laboratory analysis indicates that significant amount of E. coli (5–182/ml sample) is present in both of the sources and storage vessels. The type of household storage device and unhygienic behaviour were associated with coliform contamination. It was estimated that 13.32% households are less affected by diarrheal diseases because they use tube well water for their household work and remaining 86.65% are highly affected due to use of contaminated water. The lack of water supply and sanitation is the primary reason for diseases transmitted via faeces which are so common in slum area. The drinking water quality in Nirala slum area is grossly unfit for human consumption, due to contamination of various water sources, traditional storage practices and unhygienic behaviour. So it is cautioned that without ample and safe drinking water, we cannot provide health care to the slum community.