ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER AND WATER-BORNE DISEASES IN MASABA NORTH DISTRICT, KENYA

Abstract

Consumption of contaminated water is a major cause of illness in the world and particularly in rural communities, especially in developing countries like Kenya. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to evaluate access to safe drinking water, water purification techniques and water-borne disease incidence in Masaba North District. Some  100 households were randomly selected with structured interview questions being administered to 25 households in each of the four divisions in the District. Water testing was carried out in a make-shift laboratory using the Oxfam DelAgua kit to determine the number of E. coli colony forming unity (CFU) per 100ml while a hach turbidimeter was used to measure water  turbidity.    It was found that a high percentage of the households had access to ‘improved’ water sources including protected springs (79%) with 64% of the households boiling their water before consumption.. Only 17% of the households had access to water free from fecal contamination. The most effective method of purification was Biosand  filtration which provided 57% reduction in turbidity and 92% reduction in  E. coli.  Out of the 100 households, 20%  households indicated that  at least one  member of the household had suffered from water-borne diseases in the past year. Whereas many households can easily access improved water sources, access to safe drinking water  was  still a major challenge.  Further more, water from “protected sources” was not necessarily safe for drinking.  There was inconsistent and inadequate utilization of water purification techniques leading to consumption of contaminated water even after purification had  been carried out.