Household Drinking Water Treatment Methods: Assessment of Current Practices and Experimentation with Unadopted Solutions

Abstract

One of the key strategies for preventing waterborne diseases, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), is household water treatment. This study aims, on the one hand, to assess the effectiveness of the water treatment methods used by households (Javel water, boiling, and Aquatab), and on the other hand, to enhance household knowledge of alternative treatment options such as continuous chlorination and ceramic filtration. To achieve this, twenty-six wells were selected: sixteen were monitored throughout their water treatment stages, while ten served as test samples for two treatment methods not commonly applied by households (continuous chlorination and ceramic filtration). Six microbiological parameters (presumed coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli , fecal streptococci, sulfite-reducing bacteria, and fecal enterococci) were analyzed in the water samples before and after treatment during the dry season (February and October) and the rainy season (August). The collected data were processed using XLSTAT and ArcGIS software, and the HACCP model was applied for data interpretation. Boiling achieved 100% elimination of most microorganisms, except for fecal enterococci, which were detected in 40% of the treated samples, with mean concentrations of 2.67 CFU and 1.92 CFU for the two monitoring periods, respectively. In all water samples treated with Aquatab, although sulfite-reducing bacteria were completely eliminated, other microorganisms (presumed coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli , fecal streptococci and fecal enterococci) were still detected. The efficiency rates ranged from 94.69% to 100%, with log removal values (LRV) between 1.27 and 3.87 log 10 . Furthermore, in all wells treated with 1.5 liters of Javel water, none exhibited adequate residual chlorine levels (0.3 mg/L) 48 hours after treatment. The measured residual chlorine values ranged between 0 and 0.02 mg/L. Regarding the experimental methods, continuous chlorination achieved up to 80% microbial elimination, with residual chlorine maintained in the water up to the 21st day after treatment. Efficiency rates varied from 98.04% to 100%, and LRVs from 1.64 to 4.07 log 10 . The use of ceramic filters demonstrated treatment efficiencies ranging from 98.77% to 100% and LRVs between 1.83 and 5.28 log 10 . However, two out of five filters showed design flaws, which may have affected their performance. The findings could help to sustain water quality improvement for the local communities in the developing countries.