IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v15y2018i8p1616-d160968.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing the Impact of a Risk-Based Intervention on Piped Water Quality in Rural Communities: The Case of Mid-Western Nepal

Author

Listed:
  • Dorian Tosi Robinson

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland)

  • Ariane Schertenleib

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland)

  • Bal Mukunda Kunwar

    (Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Nepal, Jhamshikhel Dhobi Ghat, Lalitpur, GPO Box 688 Kathmandu, Nepal)

  • Rubika Shrestha

    (Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Nepal, Jhamshikhel Dhobi Ghat, Lalitpur, GPO Box 688 Kathmandu, Nepal)

  • Madan Bhatta

    (Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Nepal, Jhamshikhel Dhobi Ghat, Lalitpur, GPO Box 688 Kathmandu, Nepal)

  • Sara J. Marks

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland)

Abstract

Ensuring universal access to safe drinking water is a global challenge, especially in rural areas. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of a risk-based strategy to improve drinking water safety for five gravity-fed piped schemes in rural communities of the Mid-Western Region of Nepal. The strategy was based on establishing community-led monitoring of the microbial water quality and the sanitary status of the schemes. The interventions examined included field-robust laboratories, centralized data management, targeted infrastructure improvements, household hygiene and filter promotion, and community training. The results indicate a statistically significant improvement in the microbial water quality eight months after intervention implementation, with the share of taps and household stored water containers meeting the international guidelines increasing from 7% to 50% and from 17% to 53%, respectively. At the study endline, all taps had a concentration of <10 CFU Escherichia coli /100 mL. These water quality improvements were driven by scheme-level chlorination, improved hygiene behavior, and the universal uptake of household water treatment. Sanitary inspection tools did not predict microbial water quality and, alone, are not sufficient for decision making. Implementation of this risk-based water safety strategy in remote rural communities can support efforts towards achieving universal water safety.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorian Tosi Robinson & Ariane Schertenleib & Bal Mukunda Kunwar & Rubika Shrestha & Madan Bhatta & Sara J. Marks, 2018. "Assessing the Impact of a Risk-Based Intervention on Piped Water Quality in Rural Communities: The Case of Mid-Western Nepal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-23, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:8:p:1616-:d:160968
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/8/1616/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/8/1616/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aaron Gichaba Misati & George Ogendi & Rachel Peletz & Ranjiv Khush & Emily Kumpel, 2017. "Can Sanitary Surveys Replace Water Quality Testing? Evidence from Kisii, Kenya," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Akina Shrestha & Subodh Sharma & Jana Gerold & Séverine Erismann & Sanjay Sagar & Rajendra Koju & Christian Schindler & Peter Odermatt & Jürg Utzinger & Guéladio Cissé, 2017. "Water Quality, Sanitation, and Hygiene Conditions in Schools and Households in Dolakha and Ramechhap Districts, Nepal: Results from A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Robert Bain & Ryan Cronk & Jim Wright & Hong Yang & Tom Slaymaker & Jamie Bartram, 2014. "Fecal Contamination of Drinking-Water in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Kyle Onda & Joe LoBuglio & Jamie Bartram, 2012. "Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-15, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jo Herschan & Bettina Rickert & Theresa Mkandawire & Kenan Okurut & Richard King & Susan J. Hughes & Dan J. Lapworth & Katherine Pond, 2020. "Success Factors for Water Safety Plan Implementation in Small Drinking Water Supplies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-18, October.
    2. D. Daniel & Arnt Diener & Jack van de Vossenberg & Madan Bhatta & Sara J. Marks, 2020. "Assessing Drinking Water Quality at the Point of Collection and within Household Storage Containers in the Hilly Rural Areas of Mid and Far-Western Nepal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Patrick Levallois & Cristina M. Villanueva, 2019. "Drinking Water Quality and Human Health: An Editorial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-4, February.
    4. Richard King & Kenan Okurut & Jo Herschan & Dan J. Lapworth & Rosalind Malcolm & Rory Moses McKeown & Katherine Pond, 2020. "Does Training Improve Sanitary Inspection Answer Agreement between Inspectors? Quantitative Evidence from the Mukono District, Uganda," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Richard King & Kenan Okurut & Jo Herschan & Dan J. Lapworth & Rosalind Malcolm & Rory Moses McKeown & Katherine Pond, 2020. "Does Training Improve Sanitary Inspection Answer Agreement between Inspectors? Quantitative Evidence from the Mukono District, Uganda," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Jamie Bartram & Clarissa Brocklehurst & Michael B. Fisher & Rolf Luyendijk & Rifat Hossain & Tessa Wardlaw & Bruce Gordon, 2014. "Global Monitoring of Water Supply and Sanitation: History, Methods and Future Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-29, August.
    3. D. Daniel & Arnt Diener & Jack van de Vossenberg & Madan Bhatta & Sara J. Marks, 2020. "Assessing Drinking Water Quality at the Point of Collection and within Household Storage Containers in the Hilly Rural Areas of Mid and Far-Western Nepal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Jonny Crocker & Jamie Bartram, 2014. "Comparison and Cost Analysis of Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Requirements versus Practice in Seven Developing Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-14, July.
    5. Joseph Okotto-Okotto & Diogo Trajano Gomes da Silva & Emmah Kwoba & Samuel.M Thumbi & Peggy Wanza & Weiyu Yu & Jim A. Wright, 2020. "Effect of Inter-Observer Variation on the Association between Contamination Hazards and the Microbiological Quality of Water Sources: A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-15, December.
    6. A. G. S. Reddy, 2023. "A review on violation of drinking water specifications in water supply and research publications," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 1084-1100, February.
    7. Ayse Ercumen & Benjamin F Arnold, 2015. "Upgrading a Piped Water Supply from Intermittent to Continuous Delivery and Association with Waterborne Illness: A Matched Cohort Study in Urban India," Working Papers id:7729, eSocialSciences.
    8. Ashley R Williams & Robert E S Bain & Michael B Fisher & Ryan Cronk & Emma R Kelly & Jamie Bartram, 2015. "A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Fecal Contamination and Inadequate Treatment of Packaged Water," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-27, October.
    9. Thi Yen Chi Nguyen & Bamidele Oladapo Fagbayigbo & Guéladio Cissé & Nesre Redi & Samuel Fuhrimann & John Okedi & Christian Schindler & Martin Röösli & Neil Philip Armitage & Kirsty Carden & Mohamed Aq, 2021. "Diarrhoea among Children Aged under Five Years and Risk Factors in Informal Settlements: A Cross-Sectional Study in Cape Town, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-18, June.
    10. Paola A. Torres-Slimming & Carlee Wright & Cesar P. Carcamo & Patricia J. Garcia & IHACC Research Team & Sherilee L. Harper, 2019. "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: A Mixed Methods Study of Health-Related Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) for Indigenous Shawi in the Peruvian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-17, July.
    11. Sonia R. Bhalotra & Alberto Diaz-Cayeros & Grant Miller & Alfonso Miranda & Atheendar S. Venkataramani, 2017. "Urban Water Disinfection and Mortality Decline in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 23239, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Amber L. Pearson & Adam Zwickle & Judith Namanya & Amanda Rzotkiewicz & Emiliana Mwita, 2016. "Seasonal Shifts in Primary Water Source Type: A Comparison of Largely Pastoral Communities in Uganda and Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-7, January.
    13. Francesca Rubino & Yahaira Corona & José Guadalupe Jiménez Pérez & Charlotte Smith, 2018. "Bacterial Contamination of Drinking Water in Guadalajara, Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Venkatesh Baskaran & Velkennedy R, 2022. "A systematic review on the role of geographical information systems in monitoring and achieving sustainable development goal 6: Clean water and sanitation," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1417-1425, October.
    15. Alexandra Huttinger & Robert Dreibelbis & Kristin Roha & Fidel Ngabo & Felix Kayigamba & Leodomir Mfura & Christine Moe, 2015. "Evaluation of Membrane Ultrafiltration and Residual Chlorination as a Decentralized Water Treatment Strategy for Ten Rural Healthcare Facilities in Rwanda," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-22, October.
    16. Johannes Rieckmann, 2015. "Wasser- und Abwasserinfrastruktur und Gesundheit in Entwicklungsländern," DIW Roundup: Politik im Fokus 52, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    17. Nedkov, Stoyan & Campagne, Sylvie & Borisova, Bilyana & Krpec, Petr & Prodanova, Hristina & Kokkoris, Ioannis P. & Hristova, Desislava & Le Clec'h, Solen & Santos-Martin, Fernando & Burkhard, Benjamin, 2022. "Modeling water regulation ecosystem services: A review in the context of ecosystem accounting," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    18. Michael B Fisher & Ashley R Williams & Mohamed F Jalloh & George Saquee & Robert E S Bain & Jamie K Bartram, 2015. "Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Packaged Sachet Water and Household Stored Drinking Water in Freetown, Sierra Leone," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    19. Joseph Kihika Kamara & Moses Galukande & Florence Maeda & Sam Luboga & Andre M. N. Renzaho, 2017. "Understanding the Challenges of Improving Sanitation and Hygiene Outcomes in a Community Based Intervention: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-16, June.
    20. Mustafa Sikder & Elena N. Naumova & Anthonia O. Ogudipe & Mateo Gomez & Daniele Lantagne, 2021. "Fecal Indicator Bacteria Data to Characterize Drinking Water Quality in Low-Resource Settings: Summary of Current Practices and Recommendations for Improving Validity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-19, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:8:p:1616-:d:160968. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.