Challenges to Sustainable Safe Drinking Water: A Case Study of Water Quality and Use across Seasons in Rural Communities in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Consumption of microbial-contaminated water can result in diarrheal illnesses and enteropathy with the heaviest impact upon children below the age of five. We aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of water quality in a low-resource setting in Limpopo province, South Africa. Surveys were conducted in 405 households in rural communities of Limpopo province to determine their water-use practices, perceptions of water quality, and household water-treatment methods. Drinking water samples were tested from households for microbiological contamination. Water from potential natural sources were tested for physicochemical and microbiological quality in the dry and wet seasons. Most households had their primary water source piped into their yard or used an intermittent public tap. Approximately one third of caregivers perceived that they could get sick from drinking water. All natural water sources tested positive for fecal contamination at some point during each season. The treated municipal supply never tested positive for fecal contamination; however, the treated system does not reach all residents in the valley; furthermore, frequent shutdowns of the treatment systems and intermittent distribution make the treated water unreliable. The increased water quantity in the wet season correlates with increased treated water from municipal taps and a decrease in the average contaminant levels in household water. This research suggests that wet season increases in water quantity result in more treated water in the region and that is reflected in residents' water-use practices.

Ecological Public Health and Participatory Planning and Assessment Dilemmas: The Case of Water Resources Management

“…The observations resonate with other findings which reveal low community participation on use of available information on water resource management and planning e.g., [68]. The findings present a bleak scenario for public health related risks associated with water from various sources especially in the context of findings by [70,71,72]. …”

Water Quality Assessment of Surface and Groundwater Sources Using a Water Quality Index Method: A Case Study of a Peri-Urban Town in Southwest, Nigeria

“…Results from the microbiological analysis of the various water samples indicate the presence of bacteria in all the samples except for the control sample (de-ionized water) and one of the tap waters supplied to the community. Although the presence of E. coli in the treated water is unexpected, several reports in the literature have shown that inadequate treatment of potable water exists in developing countries [1,19]. The reason for this can be partly due to the lack of the adequate dosage of water disinfectants (such as chlorine tablet or chlorine gas) or the failure of the water treatment process in the facility.…”

“…The presence of faecal coliform and E. coli in all the water sources except in tap water indicate that they are not fit for human consumption without prior adequate treatment. Several health risks have been associated with the consumption of faecal contaminated water and this problem is exacerbated in children under the age of 5 and immuno-compromised adults [1,3,5]. Waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio amongst others are the leading causes of underage death [5,38,39].…”

“…The consumption of water from surface and groundwater sources without any form of treatment is widely reported in the literature [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Groundwater is often the first alternative choice of many consumers due to its perceived cleanness and safeness.…”

“…Continuous and sustainable access to potable water supply remains a major challenge to millions of people around the world. This problem is exacerbated in rural areas of most developing countries due to the lack of water supply infrastructure or the inadequate supply of potable water [1,3]. In the absence of sustainable access to potable water, people are left with no choice than to seek for alternative sources of water which are often groundwater sources through shallow or deep wells and boreholes or the abstraction of water from rivers and lakes [1,3,19,20].…”