Household Water Newsletter Issue 57
Anthonj, Carmen
Dear Colleagues,
Hope you are all doing well.
Thank you to all of you who submitted announcements, requests and publications for this issue of our HWTS newsletter.
It may be the longest we ever pulled together, so extra thanks all of you.
Highlights of this newsletter include
- Summary of outcomes of the Annual Meeting of the International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage at the 2019 UNC Water & Health Conference in October 2019 in Chapel Hill
- A record number of interesting publications that were shared from network members
Please feel free to get in touch with me if you would like to share something with the Network. As usual, we welcome material such as recent publications, presentations, events, resources, calls for papers/proposals, etc. If you are seeking assistance with your program planning, you are also welcome to put a request out to the community. Or you may be a researcher and would like to share your research question with others or seek input or contacts for your work.
You may review the guidelines and submit your contribution here: https://hwts.web.unc.edu/newsletter-contributions/.
Best regards,
Carmen Anthonj
Dr. Carmen Anthonj
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Gillings School of Global Public Health
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
carmen....@unc.edu, 919.966.7644
Household Water Newsletter, Issue 57
November 2019
Work and Funding Opportunities
Outcomes of the Annual Meeting of the International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage at the 2019 UNC Water & Health Conference in October 2019 in Chapel Hill
The Annual Meeting of the International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage took place on Friday, 11 October 2019, during the 2019 UNC Water and Health Conference: Where Science Meets Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. The meeting provided an opportunity to share the latest in research, implementation and policy on HWTS and water safety, to discuss the future of the network in sub-groups, as well as HWTS implementation and emerging issues in HWTS.
Updates on research were presented by Batsirai Majuru (World Health Organization), who focused on three recent studies (all summarized in and attached to this newsletter), including
§ Results of Round II of the WHO International Scheme to Evaluate Household Water Treatment Technologies
§ Alternative drinking-water disinfectants: Bromine, iodine and silver
§ Selecting Household Water Treatment Options on the Basis of World Health Organization Performance Testing Protocols
Rick Johnston (Joint Monitoring Programme at the World Health Organization) reported on emerging technologies and their critical role in rapid water quality testing, and Mark Sobsey (University of North Carolina) reported on innovative water treatment options. Moderated by Millie Adam (CAWST), four groups, focusing on i) performance standards, ii) markets for HWTS, iii) reaching the most vulnerable and iv) increasing adoption and sustainability, discussed the future of HWTS and the network. Three current topics of HWTS implementation were presented by network members:
§ Point of collection treatment. What does it mean for the HWTS Network Scheme? Presented by Kevin O’Callaghan (Aquatabs / Medentech)
§ Quality control and manufacturing consistency of ceramic pot filters, presented by Jennifer Mally (Potters for Peace)
§ Utility approach to scale HWTS in Ethiopia, presented by Henk Holtslag (SMART Centre Group)
All presentations and outcomes are summarized in this newsletter. A full Meeting Report is currently being drafted, and will be shared once it is finalized.
WHO Launches Report on Results of Round II of the WHO International Scheme to Evaluate Household Water Treatment Technologies
Since the establishment of the International Scheme to Evaluate Household Water Treatment Technologies (the Scheme) in 2014, the World Health Organization has been independently evaluating the performance of household water treatment (HWT) technologies in removing microbial contaminants from drinking-water. The results of the evaluation are intended to guide procuring United Nations (UN) agencies and Member States in HWT selection. The report summarizes the results of 19 of 20 HWT products evaluated in Round II of the Scheme . These represent a range of treatment methods, including chemical, solar and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, and ceramic and membrane filtration. The report highlights that among the products that do not meet WHO performance criteria, manufacturing quality is weak, and needs to be strengthened. Find the report attached to this newsletter and here.
Point of Collection Treatment. What does it mean for the HWTS Network Scheme? Summary of Presentation by Kevin O’Callaghan, Aquatabs / Medentech
Aquatabs, a member of the HWTS network since its foundation, worked with key international and local organisations for over 15 years. In 2018, Aquatabs made over 30 billion litres of water safe. Despite this success, more behavioural marketing is necessary to achieve continuous purchase for a decentralised supply chain. Understanding the market and knowing the limitations of reach, the organization brought the activity of Aquatabs inside the water system through the simple low cost automatic device Aquatabs Flo. A two year health impact study was undertaken by Stanford and Icddr’b with assistance from the World Bank with the results published in the the Lancet by Pickering et al, showing a 25% reduction in diarrhoea in grouped water schemes + also 24% reduction in spend on health intervention products. At present, Aquatabs works on alternative business models to get its products into the market. Already, over 25,000 installations globally including public / grouped water systems in decentralised / intermediary tanks, schools, healthcare facilities, villages bring safe water to over 20,000 schools / 10 million children on a daily basis. For more information, please contact Kevin O’Callaghan at kevin.oc...@kersia-group.com.
Quality Control and Manufacturing Consistency of Ceramic Pot Filters. Summary of Presentation by Jennifer Mally, Potters for Peace
Potters for Peace with CAWST, offered their second 2-week, hands-on Ceramic Water Filter Training Course this year, and trained participants from Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, India, Haiti and the United States. The participants dug for, prepared and tested local clays, prepared burnout materials and made test bars in search for a pot filter recipe. Based on that, they made a batch of 50 filters and fired them, before flow testing the filters and testing the filtered water for bacteria. The course also covered waterborne illness, multi-barrier approaches to clean water, end user filter education, marketing filters and distribution. The 2020 filter training course will potentially be held in an African country to provide easier access to people interested in the technology in that area. In January, a filter production team will set up a factory by Clean Water International in the Philippines, and progress of other factories in the Philippines and Bali will be assessed. After completion of mission in the Philippines, the team will shift their efforts to helping a filter factory currently being set up in Haiti. Potters for Peace’s 2020 plans include raising scholarship funds for the next filter course, helping people who are interested in filter manufacturing, networking with universities in the area of filter research and looking for opportunities to collaborate with other organizations in the effort to bring clean, potable water to people worldwide. For more information on the organization, collaboration and the courses, please contact Jennifer Mally at executiv...@pottersforpeace.org.
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Impressions from the Ceramic Filter Training Course in Wisconsin in August 2019 (photo credit: Potters for Peace).
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Utility Approach to Scale HWTS in Ethiopia. Summary of Presentation by Henk Holtslag, SMART Centre Group
According to the recent JMP report, globally 1 out of 3 people do not have safe drinking water. At the Stockholm Water Week 2019, there was the information of a huge funding gap of 80 billion US$/year to reach SDG6, esp. in Africa. However for 0,3 % of 80 billion US$, all Africans can have safe water according to the SMART Centre Group. This group of water training centres claims that for a one time grant of $2 /person (0.5 billion US$ / year for 10 years), sustainable safe drinking water is possible. For Africa that would be 0.24 billion US$ / year during 10 years. To reach this goal this grant needs to be invested in treatment at point of use (PoU) like boiling, chlorination and especially household water filters. Actions needed to scale up PoU treatment include: i) awareness (large scale, national, long term HWTS campaigns which is a task of Government & NGOs); ii) build supply chains of effective, attractive and affordable household water filters (a task of companies and NGOs); iii) payment systems like credits and mobile payment (a task of companies with assistance of Government and NGOs); and iv) support for the poorest, (a task of the Government, NGOs and donors). These actions are now starting in Ethiopia with the so called Utility approach, a novel idea supported by the NGOs Aqua for All, the NGO Helvetas and others. This approach has potential because in Ethiopia, the Government, NGOs and private sector collaborate, so they are a PPP. Also, there is a range of affordable and locally produced water filters and 15,000 utilities which can be part of the supply chain. Over 60 utilities already started to sell filters. If all parties go on with cooperation and expand activities, Ethiopia may reach the goal of safe water for all by 2030. More information will be provided in the Annual Meeting report. For questions contact Henk Holtslag at henkhol...@gmail.com.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Innovation Catalogue. A Collection of Innovations for the Humanitarian Sector
Over the last few years, ELRHA, a global charity that finds solutions to complex humanitarian problems through research and innovation, has heavily invested in funding and supporting innovation and research in the WASH sector, highlighting gaps in evidence, exploring the problems, identifying opportunities where innovation can play a vital role, and funding the right people to find potential solutions. The ELRHA WASH Innovation Catalogue offers a unique overview of some of the most promising new solutions in WASH, and is designed to help practitioners decide which innovations could help them solve their most pressing problems. Taking an innovation from idea to scale can take years, and the innovations featured in this catalogue are all at different stages on that journey, but what this offers the WASH sector now is a look at the exciting work happening around the world to address common challenges. Contact in...@elrha.org for more information, and find the WaSH Innovations Catalogue here.
The Kenya Water for Health Organization WASH Fair
This year’s WASH Fair themed “clean hands for all” saw participation of 15 primary schools and Community Health Volunteers from Maragua, Ngoliba and Githembe areas in Murang’a county. The event hosted by Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO) in partnership with Siemens Stiftung was graced with thrilling and outstanding performances with messages on importance of handwashing and general good hygiene practices. Also, the children showcased their unique handwashing inventions modelled to serve them in schools and homes such as tippy taps, dispensable soaps and detergents. A highlight was seeing the boys in the Menstrual Hygiene booth pledging to break the Menstrual silence and ending the period shame after an exciting learning session with the Menstrual Hygiene Trainers! A delight were the children re-telling the key lessons learnt during the hygiene trainings as if they were now a regular part of their lives! For more information, please contact Ann Muriithi, KWAHO Communication and Advocacy officer at wachuk...@gmail.com.
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School Pupils presenting a dispensable soap innovation (photo credit: KWAHO). |
Kianjiruini Primary School pupils perform a skit on importance of good hygiene practices (photo credit: KWAHO). |
Pupils enjoy an interactive Menstrual Hygiene session during The WASH fair (photo credit: KWAHO). |
Request for Funding of Hemodialyzer Membrane Filtration Devices from Easy Water for Everyone
Diarrhea is the major etiological factor accounting for mortality of children between two and five. Fecal contamination of drinking water from surface water sources and boreholes by bacteria, viruses and protozoa is the underlying cause of this health problem. Easy Water for Everyone (EWfE), a US-based NGO, utilizes a device which employs repurposed hollow fiber hemodialyzers as water filters; these have a pore size of 0.003 microns, which rejects all pathogens including viruses. The device produces 500L/hr of water by hand pumping and 250L/hr by a gravity flow system. The device has been installed in 30 rural villages (Ghana, Uganda) without power. Studies have shown a reduction of 70% in diarrhea incidence by use of this device. The cost of device and implementation adds to $2,500 (device: $1,100 - five-year life, support structure: $1,400). Easy Water for Everyone is looking for collaborators and funders to help scale the project. For further information, please read the related article and contact Nathan Levin of EWfE at nwle...@gmail.com.
HWTS Network on Twitter
We are intensifying our HWTS twitter activities and share interesting events, publications, trainings, webinars, infographics, stories, job opportunities and much more every week. We welcome all members’ contributions. Our twitter username is @household_water. We will post urgent information on twitter, so, check in periodically with us on twitter. We look forward to hearing from you, learning more about what you’re doing and what’s going on, and sharing stories with you!
WEBINARS, COURSES, AND EVENTS
Centre for Affordable Water & Sanitation Technology Biosand Filter Project Implementation Course, December 3 – 6, 2019 in Calgary, Canada
The Centre for Affordable Water & Sanitation Technology (CAWST), is offering a four day biosand filter project implementation course. By the end of the training participants will be able to demonstrate how to construct and install a biosand filter correctly, describe the operation and maintenance of a biosand filter, select a suitable source of filtration sand and prepare it for installation in the filter, assemble and prepare the required tools and materials, describe the key operating parameters of the filter, troubleshoot construction, installation and operation & maintenance of a filter, demonstrate how to conduct a follow-up visit and fill out monitoring forms for construction, installation and follow-up visits. This course is designed to train and support individuals working in non-governmental organizations, municipalities or other government institutions or universities working or interested in knowing more in detail about the technical specifications of the construction of the biosand filter and plan to implement this type of technology. For more information, please click here. For questions regarding course content, contact Eva Jiménez at ejim...@cawst.org.
Conference: Water and Development Congress & Exhibition December 1st-5th, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka
IWA’s Water and Development Congress aims to catalyse transformational change and support transition to new ways of managing water resources and delivering water services. The Congress is explicitly solutions-focused, its performance indicators include the level of effective networking, knowledge exchange and the generation of new ideas shared by the participants. Themes will cover drinking water treatment and supply, fecal sludge and wastewater treatment for resource recovery, city water and fecal sludge utility management and services, integrated water resources management and efforts toward SDG 6.More information can be found here.
WORK AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Environmental Microbiology/Microbial Process Engineering Tenure Track Assistant or Associate Professor: Call for Applications
The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina is seeking to hire a tenure track faculty member at the Assistant or Associate Professor level with expertise in microbiology or microbial process engineering. The successful candidate may work in a variety of areas: e.g., to characterize susceptible populations and microbial exposures, design effective interventions to reduce microbial risks, address water safety, infectious disease transmission, environmental or occupational exposures, design more resilient/distributed water treatment, and/or microbial methods for resource recovery. The application deadline is November 11th, 2019. Find more information here.
For WASH sector job listings, please refer to the Relief Web Jobs site, or Josh’s Water Jobs site. If you wish to share an education, job, or funding opportunity with the Network, please tell us by email at carmen....@unc.edu or hhw...@who.int.
Alternative Drinking-Water Disinfectants. Bromine, Iodine and Silver
Disinfection of drinking-water supplies has been one of the most significant public health advancements of the last century with respect to reducing waterborne disease. Although chlorine has been used as the disinfectant of choice for public drinking-water supplies for the past century, a number of emerging or alternative compounds are used or are being considered for the disinfection of drinking-water. This series reviews the state of the knowledge on the application, efficacy and toxicity of bromine, iodine and silver as drinking-water disinfectants. Find the World Health Organization report attached to this newsletter and here.
Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of three Point-of-Use Water Treatment Technologies added to Community-Based Treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition in Sindh Province, Pakistan
Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a major global public health concern. Despite the cost-effectiveness of treatment, ministries of health are often unable to commit the required funds which limits service coverage. A randomised controlled trial in Pakistan assessed whether adding a point of use water treatment to the treatment of SAM without complications improved its cost-effectiveness. Three treatment strategies – chlorine disinfection (Aquatabs); flocculent disinfection (Procter and Gamble Purifier of Water [P&G PoW]) and Ceramic Filters – were compared to a standard SAM treatment protocol. An institutional perspective was adopted for costing. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for Aquatabs (24 USD) made it the most cost-effective strategy. The Ceramic Filters intervention was the most costly strategy and achieved a recovery rate lower than the Aquatabs arm and marginally higher than the P&G PoW arm. The study found that the addition of a chlorine or flocculent disinfection point-of-use drinking water treatment intervention to the treatment of SAM without complications reduced the cost per child recovered compared to standard SAM treatment. To inform the feasibility of future implementation, further research is required to understand the costs of government implementation and the associated costs to the community and beneficiary household of receiving such an intervention in comparison with the existing SAM treatment protocol. Find this paper by Rogers et al. here.
Decentralized Water Purification Using Novel Membrane Filtration Technology Approach to Improve Community Health
Membrane filtration is a practical solution to limited provision of clean water and fecal water contamination, and recent innovation allows membrane filtration using recycled hemodialyzers. Easy Water for Everyone has quantified the systematic effect on health outcomes. Four communities in rural Ghana were each provided with a high-volume membrane filtration device (NUF 500; NuFiltration using recycled hemodialyzers), and health data on gastrointestinal disease, acute kidney injury and therapeutic interventions were collected from households and healthcare facilities. Acceptance of the devices and the purified water in the studied villages was good. The overall monthly incidence rate of diarrhea showed a decline following the implementation of the device from a mean of 0.18 to 0.05 cases per person-month for a reduction in rates by 72% (rate ratio = 0.27), while no decline was detected in the control group. The provision of a hemodialyzer membrane filtration device markedly improved health outcomes. While the data awaits confirmation in a larger population and further statistical analyses accounting for village characteristics, seasonality and subject demographics, the decline in incidence rates supports widespread use of hemodialyzer membrane filtration devices, particularly in rural regions. Find this paper by Raimann et al. here.
Drinking Water Quality and Human Dimensions of Cholera Patients to Inform Evidence-Based Prevention Investment in Karonga District, Malawi
Cholera remains a problem in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Malawi. This study investigated drinking water source quality compared with water treatment, risk perception and cholera knowledge for patients who had reported to a health center for treatment. Nearly 82% of the 120 samples met the national criteria for thermotolerant coliforms of 50 cfu/100 ml, while 50% met the more stringent World Health Organization criteria of 0 cfu/100 ml. In terms of the human dimensions, 68% of survey respondents reported that they treated their water, while knowledge of prevention, transmission and treatment of cholera was also generally high. However, of the 32 patients whose drinking water sources had thermotolerant coliforms of 200+ cfu/100 ml, seven reported they felt a low or no personal risk for contracting cholera in the future and their community was extremely well prepared for another outbreak. The cost of a reactive response to cholera outbreaks puts a burden on Malawi, providing an opportunity for investment in innovative and localized preventive strategies to control and eliminate the risk of cholera while acknowledging social and cultural norms. Find this paper by Kaponda et al. here. For more information, please contact Rochelle Holm, Centre of Excellence in Water and Sanitation at Mzuzu University Malawi, at roch...@rochelleholm.com.
Exploring the Challenges to Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Services in Chile
Many countries around the world now face the dual challenges of closing the remaining gaps in access to drinking water in rural areas while further addressing the issues of equity, quality, and sustainability outlined in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our research explores the key factors for sustainability in rural drinking water services in Chile, an important example not only due to its success in rural water access but also because of the new directions the country is taking to achieve the SDGs. Drawing on results from a Delphi study of Chilean rural water experts, we discuss the most important issues identified, including water availability and investment in community water organizations, as well as disagreement among experts, particularly around roles of private service providers and the national government. We leverage these results to assess Law 20.998 passed in 2017, which aims to address problematic variation in rural water services by introducing a stronger role for central government and conferring more responsibility on rural water organizations. The work presents insights for challenges countries closer to universal coverage will face as they work towards the SDGs and provides an analysis of the new rural drinking water governance landscape in Chile. Find this paper by Nelson-Nuñez et al. here.
Faecal Contamination of Groundwater in Rural Vanuatu: Prevalence and Predictors
Groundwater is an important source of water for coastal communities in Pacific Island Countries. This study assessed the prevalence and predictors of faecal contamination in groundwater sources across 11 islands in Vanuatu. Escherichia coli was detected in 49% of sources and E. coli concentration exceeded 10 MPN (most probable number)/100 mL for 23% of sources. When adjusting for other variables, the detection of E. coli was significantly associated with severe pump stand corrosion, suggestive of contaminated run-off directly entering boreholes. E. coli concentration >10 MPN/100 mL was also significantly associated with: (i) hand-dug wells (as compared to drilled boreholes); (ii) severe pump stand corrosion; (iii) water points underlain by volcanic rocks (as compared to coral limestone); and (iv) rainfall in the previous 24 h. Encasing pump stands in concrete – as some communities had done – was found to have a significant protective effect. While baseline statistics for Sustainable Development Goal target 6.1 suggest that 87% of Vanuatu's rural population have access to at least a basic (improved) water source, the results from this study point to extensive microbial water quality concerns linked to degraded water supply infrastructure in need of rehabilitation. Find this paper by Foster et al. here.
Household-level drinking water quality, access, and management practices within an informal community: a case study at Rio das Pedras, Rio de Janeiro
Inter-household patterns in drinking water access, consumption, perception, and quality among residents can vary in Rio das Pedras (RdP), a large favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While unreliable water quality can influence residents to diversify their drinking water supply, household drinking water management practices are not generally known for this community. Household surveys, and indoor tap, piped water before entering the home, filtered, or bottled dispenser water samples were collected. Respondents reported storing water (91%) and near-daily access to piped water (78%). A majority of households reported cleaning water storage tanks at least once every 6 months. Also, residents rely on bottled water and a considerable proportion supplemented their water supply with at-home filtered water. The quality and safety of these sources are not necessarily superior to indoor tap water, especially under conditions of appropriate water storage tank cleaning. Higher prevalence of total coliform detections was found in indoor tap, filtered, and bottled water. Household characteristics such as home ownership, residence type, and residence time exhibited a positive association with improved tank cleaning. Community health practitioners could evaluate practices in water storage, at-home filtration maintenance, and bottled water dispenser systems using household characteristics to promote protective actions. Find this paper by Remigio et al. here.
Incidence of Subsidies in Residential Public Services in Mexico: The Case of the Water Sector Access to safe water has tremendous direct and indirect impacts on poverty-related outcomes. In Mexico, economies of scale in water provision justify bulk provision of water, such that it is collectively rational to invest heavily in capital for infrastructure development. This is compounded by the fact that water utilities are highly capital-intensive. We analyze two distinct types of subsidies prevalent in the residential water sector. We exploit a household socio-economic module with detailed water services information from the 2014 National Income and Expenditure Survey in Mexico. We combined this data with a unique dataset from water operators in Mexico (PIGOO). We estimate economic (considering operating costs) and direct (considering household’s water payments) subsidies targeted to residential water tariff subsidies. Large heterogeneity in the direct subsidy incidence is found, which partly explains the distortions and wide differences in tariffs and total amount paid for water among different segments of the income distribution. The Omega Indicators (Ω), defined as the proportion of the subsidies received by the poor divided by the proportion of households in the total population in poverty, is less than one, implying that wealthy populations benefit more from water subsidies (economic and direct) than the poor. Find this paper by Borja-Vega et al. here.
Making Rainwater Harvesting a Key Solution for Water Management: The Universality of the Kilimanjaro Concept
Rainwater is conventionally perceived as an alternative drinking water source, mostly needed to meet water demand under particular circumstances (e.g. semi-arid conditions or on small islands). Rainwater has been identified as a potential source of clean drinking water in cases where groundwater sources contain high concentrations of toxic geogenic contaminants. This approach motivated the introduction of the Kilimanjaro Concept (KC) to supply fluoride-free water to the population of the East African Rift Valley (EARV). Current efforts towards the implementation of the KC demonstrate that harvesting rainwater is a potential universal solution to cover increasing water demands, while limiting adverse environmental impacts such as groundwater depletion and flooding. Indeed, all surface and subsurface water resources are replenished by precipitation, with rainfall being the main source and major component of the hydrological cycle. Thus, rainwater harvesting systems entailing carefully harvesting, storing and transporting rainwater are an applicable solution for water supply as long as rain falls on earth. Besides direct use, rainwater can increase aquifer recharge while minimizing soil erosion and limiting floods. The paper by Qinwen Qi et al. presents an extension of the original KC by incorporating Chinese experience to demonstrate the universal applicability of the KC for water management, including the provision of clean water for decentralized communities. Find it here.
Selecting Household Water Treatment Options on the Basis of World Health Organization Performance Testing Protocols
The World Health Organization’s International Scheme to Evaluate Household Water Treatment Technologies serves to benchmark microbiological performance of existing and novel technologies and processes for small-scale drinking water treatment according to a tiered system. There is widespread uncertainty around which tiers of performance are most appropriate for technology selection and recommendation in humanitarian response or for routine safe water programming. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) was used to evaluate attributable reductions in diarrheal disease burden associated with water treatment technologies meeting the three tiers of performance under this Scheme, across a range of conditions. According to mean estimates and under most modeling conditions, potential health gains attributable to microbiologically improved drinking water are realized at the middle tier of performance:“comprehensive protection: high pathogen removal (★★)” for each reference pathogen. The highest tier of performance may yield additional marginal health gains where untreated water is especially contaminated and where adherence is 100%. The results highlight that health gains from improved efficacy of household water treatment technology remain marginal when adherence is less than 90%. While selection of water treatment technologies that meet minimum WHO efficacy recommendations for comprehensive protection against waterborne pathogens is critical, additional criteria for technology choice and recommendation should focus on potential for correct, consistent, and sustained use. Find the paper by Bivins et al. here.
Removal of Natural Organic Matter by an End-Free Gravity-Driven Membrane System Combined with Powdered Activated Carbon for Household Water Supply
There is a considerable need for household water treatment (HWT) systems that can supply safe and affordable drinking water for low-and middle-income countries. One HWT system, an end-free gravity-driven membrane (GDM) system, has been developed to produce potable water. GDM systems can remove turbid material and pathogens but cannot reduce natural organic matter (NOM) effectively. Because chlorination has been widely used for HWT in low-and middle-income countries, there are chances of trihalomethane (THM) formation with NOM content in water. To reduce NOM, an end-free GDM system combined with powdered activated carbon (PAC) was adopted. The raw water used was groundwater and lake water spiked with a humic acid solution. For raw water with low NOM concentration, batch operation without PAC addition was preferable to prevent a significant decrease in permeability because of PAC cake layer formation. For high NOM concentrations, PAC addition was required to reduce dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and to keep total THM formation under acceptable levels, the concentration of which was theoretically calculated. In this case, to prevent permeability and pH decreases from PAC addition, sufficient PAC should be added into the raw water to maintain the PAC concentration as low as possible while still satisfying DOC removal requirements. The end-free GDM system combined with PAC would have significant potential for HWT in low-and middle-income countries. Find this paper by Lee et al. here.
Status of Water Safety Plan Development and Implementation in Uganda
Uganda was among the first countries in Africa that pioneered Water Safety Plan (WSP) development and implementation, with the first WSP dating back to 2002. The objective of this study was to assess WSP status in Uganda, focusing on the experience of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), in order to understand the factors that influenced it and strategies for scaling-up. This study consisted of a review of documentation for 20 WSPs, 42 interviews, a focus group discussion and four field visits. Results show that the development of the 20 WSPs over the last 15 years was largely incomplete and diverse. Most of the WSPs focused on system assessment and improvement, but failed to include WSP monitoring, verification and management. The monitoring of control measures was implemented in nine of the 20 systems, while verification took place in the form of internal (5/20) and external (2/20) auditing. The main barriers identified to WSP implementation were inadequate training, team composition and deployment, mistaken perception and inability to evaluate WSP effectiveness. Conversely, the main enabling factors were management commitment, public health responsibility, good customer relations, financial availability and reliable laboratories. These findings suggest a need for more institutionalization of WSPs with improved coordination across stakeholder groups. Find this paper by Kanyesigye et al. here.
WaSH Policy Research Digest Issue #13: Protecting the Urban Environment from Fecal Contamination
The WaSH Policy Research Digest is issued quarterly by The Water Institute at UNC and comprises a review of a recent article or report, and a short literature review on a WaSH topic. It provides objective, concise, and timely information to advise WaSH policy development. The September Issue of the Digest examines the effects of incomplete sanitation coverage in urban areas. Find the publication here and attached to this newsletter. To subscribe to the Digest and to get updates on related webinars, please go here.
EVENT CALENDAR
Biosand Filter Project Implementation Course. 3-6 December, 2019 in Calgary, Canada
Water and Development Congress & Exhibition. 1–5 December, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka
What is the future of water in Public Health? 12th December, 2019 in Sheffield, UK
For WASH and water-related event listings, please refer to the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Water Policy & Practice Calendar. If you know of an upcoming international, regional or national event which the HWTS/WASH community should be aware of, please tell us by email at hwtsn...@unc.edu.
About this newsletter: This newsletter is produced by the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF as co-hosts of the International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage. Past issues are available at http://hwts.web.unc.edu/newsletter/. For further information or to unsubscribe, please contact Dr. Carmen Anthonj at hwtsn...@unc.edu
Submissions: Contributions to the newsletter are welcome. Please refer to the guidelines on the Water Institute website.
Disclaimer: This publication does not necessarily represent the decisions or policies of the World Health Organization or the United Nations Children’s Fund. Any mention of specific companies or manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization or the United Nations Children’s Fund.