A Study of a Rudimentary Potable Water System in a Rural Community

Abstract

A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate a rural community's efforts to solve its potable water problem. Residents of St. Margaret village has built a rudimentary water storage facility through their community efforts and run a network of water supply to the households of the village. The study analyzed the water quality of the reservoir for physical, chemical and microbiological parameters by using standard water quality measurements and compared it between the wet and the dry seasons. The results indicate that the temperature and the pH were highest in the month of April. The phosphate level was high during the month of November whereas the dissolved oxygen level was lowest during November. The presence of fecal coliforms and other pathogenic microbes such as Salmonella and Shigella suggested that the water bodies are not safe for human consumption. The survey of the households in the village also revealed that health ailments associated with gastrointestinal tract are common among the people using the water for drinking purpose. The community's effort in finding solution to their potable water problem has been demonstrated in the design and execution of the rudimentary reservoir in the St. Margaret village. Although majority of the inhabitants of the village have only primary-level education, they were able to carry out a major engineering project.

Climate and hydrological seasonal effects on household water insecurity: A systematic review

“…Only articles that met all inclusion criteria were included in the review. For example, several articles were excluded from the review because they discussed water quality at the household level or water‐borne health risks but did not draw explicit connections to household experiences with the different domains of water provisioning (Ake et al, 2015; Amenu et al, 2013; Bennett et al, 2012; Cheng et al, 2005; Chuah & Ziegler, 2018; Emch et al, 2010; Murphy et al, 2020; Pascual, 2000).…”

“…This systematic review answers the call for better understanding of HWI across time (Jepson et al, 2017; Wutich et al, 2017). It also builds on the extensive literature base that identifies seasonality in dimensions that affect household water, such as water quantity, water quality, or seasonal water‐borne health risks (Ake et al, 2015; Amenu et al, 2013; Bennett et al, 2012; Cheng et al, 2005; Chuah & Ziegler, 2018; Emch et al, 2010; Murphy et al, 2020; Pascual, 2000). While such studies imply the effects of environmental seasonality on household well‐being, most do not examine the pathways or measure the connections between seasonal changes in, for example, water safety and household perceptions and experiences with those changes.…”