Strengthening Water Quality Monitoring Following Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique

Abstract

In early 2019, Mozambique was struck by two cyclones, Cyclone Idai in Sofala Province and Cyclone Kenneth in Cabo Delgado Province. Outbreaks of cholera were declared soon after both cyclones in Beira and Pemba cities. In response to the emergencies and outbreaks, government and humanitarian partners collaborated to create a mobile phone based water quality monitoring program to monitor daily free residual chlorine (FRC) levels in the piped network in both locations and at accommodation centers created for internally displaced persons in Beira. Overall, 87% of the 1080 samples from the piped network in Beira had detectable FRC and at accommodation centers, 73% of the 179 samples collected had detectable FRC. In Pemba, 64% of the 114 total samples collected had detectable FRC. Data from the water quality monitoring programs allowed for the identification of trends that helped increase the effectiveness of the response, including identifying areas where chlorination could be strengthened with the installation of booster chlorinators, issues with the consistency of daily chlorine treatment, and sites where water availability was limited. The water quality monitoring activities were a result of productive collaboration and could be replicated after similar emergencies in cholera endemic areas to prevent and control outbreaks.