A survey of point of use household water treatment options for rural South India

Contaminated drinking water is one of the major health challenges facing people in the developing world. The country of India leads the world in under age five mortality due to diarrheal disease, which is attributed to water and food contamination. While the Indian government has made progress in expanding access to improved water sources in the last decade, the microbiological quality of the water is unpredictable. Point of use household water treatment systems can provide clean drinking water for people who do not have access to a clean water source. This report examines five non-electrical point of use household water treatment options which have been extensively field-tested and could potentially be used in rural, South Indian villages: chlorine disinfectant, chlorine-flocculant sachets, ceramic filters, biosand filters and solar disinfection. A case study of a village in Andhra Pradesh is presented that highlights the factors to consider when introducing a new POU technology into a community.

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