jwr-01-2017-11-14

Journal: Journal of Water Resources (JWR)
Author: Kiran Roberts

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Doi:10.7508/jwr.01.2017.11.14

Safe water, coupled with adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene education (WASH) can prevent illness and death, leading to improved health, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development. The Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM) of MWE in Uganda, revealed that the compliance of rural safe drinking water sources to national water quality standards was 53% (E. coli being the key indicator), against a target of 95%. US $ 147 million is lost each year due to premature deaths; approximately 23,000 Ugandans die each year from water borne diseases nearly 90% of which is directly attributed to poor water, sanitation and hygiene. The objective of this study was to assess the water treatment methods utilized among the different kinds of households in Kyegegwa district in Uganda. The research design for this study was a cross-sectional descriptive design, in which data was collected and analyzed largely by quantitative method. It used descriptive design because it offered a precise description and information of the household-based water treatments methods as they exist. Results showed that slightly more than half of the respondents used boiling as the treatment methods of choice 206 (51.9%); however, for those who used filtration majority mentioned they let it stand and settle/filter with clean cloth 80 (76.9%). For those who utilized chlorination, most of them 9 (37.5%) mentioned that they filtered 20litres and added to 2tabs of chlorine, in addition the respondents who used solar disinfection, most stated that they filtered 20litres and put in a clean container 11 (68.8%), finally majority of the respondents stated that the reason why they don’t treat their water was due to the cost involved in water treatment 14 (29.8). This study concluded that the identified water treatments methods utilized among the households in Kyegegwa district were boiling, filtration, chlorination and solar disinfection.