Household stored water quality in an intermittent water supply network in Panama

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Safe water storage is critical to preserve water quality, especially when intermittent piped drinking water supply creates a need for household storage. This study characterized household storage practices and stored water quality in 94 households (N = 94) among four peri-urban neighborhoods in Arraiján, Panama with varying degrees of supply intermittency. We found that 18 (19.1%) households stored drinking water in unsafe containers. Forty-four (47%) samples of household stored drinking water had residual chlorine levels &amp;lt;0.2 mg/L. While 33 (35.1%) samples were positive for total coliform bacteria, only 23 (24.4%) had &amp;gt;10 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL total coliform bacteria. Eight (44%) samples were positive for Escherichia coli, whereas only one (1.3%) sample from the safe containers was positive. Twenty-nine (30.9%) samples had &amp;gt;500 MPN/mL heterotrophic plate count bacteria. These findings suggest that longer supply interruptions were associated with longer storage times and lower chlorine residual, which were associated with higher concentrations of indicator bacteria. This is one of the first studies in the Central-American region to show an association between the lack of turnover (replacement with fresh water) and greater contamination during household water storage. Thus, when drinking water supply is not completely continuous and household storage is required, decreasing the time between supply periods can facilitate safer water storage. Public awareness and education are also recommended to increase hygiene practices during water collection and storage.</jats:p>

Wireless Sensors for Measuring Drinking Water Quality in Building Plumbing: Deployments and Insights from Continuous and Intermittent Water Supply Systems

“…The latter ORP signal is shown in Figure C. The variability was caused by free chlorine decay during periods of stagnation in between intermittency periods. ,, …”

“…The variability was caused by free chlorine decay during periods of stagnation in between intermittency periods. 32,44,45 Of the three daily intermittent sites, one signal was determined to be associated with a variable chlorination system based on the high standard deviations from the grab samples and the ORP signal. The second site with daily intermittency shows the highest signal average as well as the lowest standard deviation of all intermittent sites.…”

“…Generally, the risk of microbial contamination and transmission of illnesses increases as the duration of in-home storage increases. 44 Data from real-time sensor networks could be used to manage risk associated with poor water quality and inform flushing strategies in intermittent systems.…”

Determinants of drinking water quality and sanitary risk levels of water storage in food establishments of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…Access to safe drinking water is one of the keys to sustaining life and health since it contributes to controlling the spread of waterborne disease (Irianti et al 2016;Gonzalez et al 2020;Rajasingham et al 2020). This is stressed by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which includes aspirational global targets to achieve universal access to basic services and to progressively improve the standard of water, sanitation and hygiene services by 2030 (McDonald et al 2020).…”

“…In particular, food outlets utilizing different storage materials as a vital instrument to satisfy their customers' needs, even if water is stored in an unhygienic manner and may be easily contaminated, can result in causing different communicable diseases to their clients. Many studies have indicated that water storage materials influence the quality of drinking water if they are not handled in an acceptable environmental, sanitary and hygienic manner (Nnaji et al 2019;Gonzalez et al 2020;Karande et al 2021). Studies done on household drinking water storage reveal that most determinant factors associated with the quality of drinking water and storage materials are the lack of drinking water treatment, poor hygiene practice, low standard of premises, increased storage time, and re-growth of bacteria (Akuffo et al 2013;Kabir et al 2016;Mudau et al 2017;Dandadzi et al 2019).…”