Evaluation of a novel drinking water treatment and storage intervention in Nicaragua

Field trials conducted in Bolivia found that a safe drinking water supply can be achieved through three simple inexpensive strategies: 1) point-of-use water treatment with sodium hypochlorite solution produced locally with appropriate technology 2) safe water storage in special narrow-mouthed vessels and 3) community education. This approach was tested in Asedades Nicaragua in January-April 1996. The community received education about diarrheal disease prevention and proper use of the intervention materials and a water committee composed of eight community members was formed to reinforce the educational messages. The intervention was implemented in a convenience sample of 100 households including 642 persons. At baseline household water sources included covered wells with rope pumps (61%) a river (26%) and a spring (10%). Of the 96 respondents who stored water in their homes 71% used 20-liter plastic buckets and 25% used wide-mouthed earthenware jars. 68% used chlorine for water treatment when it was available. At the follow-up interview 2 months after distribution of supplies 99% of vessels were observed to have water in them 98% had lids in place 100% had a functioning spigot and only 5% were observed to be dirty. 52% of water samples had detectable free chlorine residuals and 55% had detectable total chlorine. 85 respondents were able to state the correct amount of hypochlorite disinfectant to add to the full water vessel. Although neither microbiologic water quality nor diarrhea rates were measured in this study improvements in both outcomes occurred in the Bolivian studies

Chlorine · Disinfectant · Environmental health · Outbreak · Sodium hypochlorite · Water quality · Water supply · Water treatment · Waterborne diseases · Chemistry · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Environmental Science · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Nursing · Urban and Rural Development Challenges · Environmental Engineering · Toxicology

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