Assessment of domestic water quality management in the control of faecal oral disease transmission: case study mpwapwa area -Tanzania

The deterioration of drinking water quality following its collection from a community well, surface water, dams, standpipe and during storage in the home has been well documented. There is evidence that use of re contaminated drinking water has high public health consequences. This study explores the potential health risks from consuming re-contaminated drinking water less information were available to control facal oral disease transmission. Thus a conceptual framework of principal factors that determine the pathogen load in household drinking water is proposed. Using this framework a series of hypotheses are developed in relation to the risk of disease transmission from re-contaminated drinking water and examined in the light of current literature and detailed field observation in rural Mpwapwa communities. It is shown that considerable evidence of disease transmission from re-contaminated drinking water exists. In particular the type of storage containers and hand contact with stored drinking water has been associated with increased incidence of diarrheal diseases. There is also circumstantial evidence linking such factors as the sanitary conditions in the domestic environment, cultural norms and poverty with the pathogen load of household stored drinking water and hence the risk of disease transmission. In conclusion, it is found that re-contaminated drinking water represents a significant health risk especially to infants. We recommend that attention be given to developing practical strategies to ensure safe drinking water is provided at the point of consumption