Domestic water use in a rural village in Minas Gerais, Brazil, with an emphasis on spatial patterns, sharing of water, and factors in water use

Bibliographic Data

ID5174553
AuthorsAndrea Gazzinelli (0000-0003-2159-7291, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Márcia Christina Caetano de Souza (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Iara Nascimento (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Iara Silveira do Nascimento (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Ilcéia Ribeiro Sá (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Matilde Meire Miranda Cadete (0000-0001-8946-1863, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), Helmut Kloos (0000-0002-5867-971X, University of California Medical Center, USA)
Year1998
Volume14
Issue2
Pages265-277
Publication date1998-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCadernos de Saude Publica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0102-311X • E-ISSN: 1678-4464
PublisherFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/s0102-311x1998000200003
PMID9658212
OpenAlexW1567652379
SCIELO_PIDS0102-311X1998000200003
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited9

This paper examines the relationship between domestic water use and socioeconomic, environmental, and spatial parameters at the household level in a small rural village in northern Minas Gerais State. Five methods are used direct observation, household interviews, self-reporting by households, regression analysis, and statistical mapping. Results show that water use is characterized by 1) generally low but widely fluctuating values per person per day, 2) sharing of water sources between households, 3) the use of multiple sources by individual households, 4) avoidance of heavily contaminated stream sites, and 5) predominance of socioeconomic factors in water use. Households owning their own water supply used, on average, 25.3 liters per person/day and those without a supply 9.0 l, with higher use of the local streams among the latter. Water use varied spatially. The socioeconomic factors house quality, latrine ownership, type of water source, and a utility index were significantly correlated with water use. Implications of these simple household water sources and the more deficient sanitary facilities for potential water-borne disease transmission are briefly discussed and suggestions made for further improvements. This study confirms the appropriateness of the application of direct observation, interview, and microgeographical methods for quantitative water use studies

Economics · Environmental health · Geography · Population · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Water quality · Water resource management · Water resources · Water source · Water supply · Water use · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Ecology · Environmental Engineering · Environmental Science · Water Governance and Infrastructure · Water resources management and optimization

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