POINT-OF-USE WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE MOUNT KASIGAU REGION OF KENYA

Creating reliable and cost-effective systems to provide safe drinking water is crucial for Kenya to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 7, which includes halving the worldwide proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.This study examined the quality of home stored water and perceptions regarding water in the Mt. Kasigau area of Southeastern Kenya, where seven villages are supplied with piped water from unprotected springs and surface water emanating from the mountain's cloud forest. Residents collect water at community kiosks in 5- or 20-L containers and then store the water in 200-L barrels in their homes.

Stored water from four or five households in each of three Kasigau villages, Kitege, Rukanga, and Bungule, was sampled and analyzed for total coliform and E. coli bacteria. Most residents used no water treatment but two households chlorinated their water. Sampled water was collected in the manner that residents usually collect the water: by dipping a glass into the top of the open storage container. 100 mL of water was pulled through a 0.45 µm membrane filter using a hand pump, bacterial broth was added, and the filters were incubated at 35ºC for 24 hours. Most water stored in the households was badly contaminated with bacteria. Median values for total coliform and E. coli were 1470 and 100 CFU/100 ml, respectively. There was no significant difference between chlorinated and untreated water. Contamination of chlorinated water may result from improper treatment, contaminated containers and dishes, or human contact with the stored water.

Six residents from each village were also interviewed to learn about their perceptions regarding their water, water treatment, and waterborne disease. The majority of residents in Kitege and Rukanga did not believe that their water was safe to drink. In Kitege, four residents reported illness from their water; only two residents in Rukanga and one in Bungule reported waterborne illness. Research is continuing to determine the most effective treatment methods for drinking water and to improve sanitary and hygienic practices in area villages.