YEKATIT 12 HOSPITAL MEDICAL
COLLEGE
III. Provision of Safe and Adequate Water
Supply
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III. Provision of Safe and Adequate Water
Supply
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III. Provision of Safe and Adequate Water Supply
• Definition of terms
• Importance of water
• Occurrence of water
• Impurities of water
• Major sources of water
• Treatment of water
• Water quality surveillance
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Introduction
• Water is essential for life.
• About 70% of human’s body weight is water.
• It is the medium in which all living processes occur.
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Introduction con’t
water also plays a key role in
the prevention of disease.
Drinking eight glasses of
water daily can decrease the
risk of
colon cancer by 45%,
bladder cancer by 50%
• The provision of safe and
adequate water supply in a
community is therefore of
the greatest importance in
public health service.
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Definition of terms
Raw-water: natural untreated water from different
sources eg. Rivers, Lakes or from unprotected wells
or springs.
Potable water (drinking water): water which is free
from harmful substances, pathogenic organisms.
Palatable water: water which is pleasant to drink.
This is not necessary potable it may actually
contaminate.
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Occurrences of water
the distribution, quality, quantity and mode of occurrence
are highly variable from one locality to another.
The tiny usable portion is about 0.8% of the total 2.53%, which
is neither evenly distributed nor properly used.
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Which countries
are
under water
scarce and
stress in
1990? 2025?
Water stress
refers to unmet
water needs for
economic, social,
or
environmental
problems
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Hydrologic cycle of water
What are the process occurring during Hydrologic cycle?
What is its implication on quality of water?
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Importance of water
• Physiological needs: drinking/ cleaning/washing
• Social use: swimming, recreational
• Cultural/ Spiritual values: “Tebel”, “Timket”
• Economical: agriculture, transportation, power
• production, industrial use, etc,
• Q? Ethiopian case Vs disease transmission ???
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Public health importance of water
• How many are at risk?
Over 780 million people lack access to an “improved”
drinking water supply; many more drink water that is
grossly contaminated. (JMP 2012 report)
• How many are getting sick?
4 billion cases of diarrhoea occur annually, of which
> 85% is attributable to unsafe water, and inadequate
sanitation and hygiene.
• How many are dying?
1.8 million people die every year from diarrhoeal
diseases, the majority are children under 5.
(Source: WHO 2008a &b)
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Sources of water
Groundwater: Available at point of need with little cost
Surface water: Usually requires extensive purification
Rain water: relatively safe
Ocean water: Costly to desalinate
????? Health implication Vs source of water
In Ethiopia which source of water is abundant?
Overall: 54% improved sources. DHS 2011
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Diseases associated with water
Diseases associated with water can be broadly
classified in to 5 epidemiological groups:-
i. Water borne disease
ii. Water washed disease
iii. Water related disease
iv. Water based /impounding disease
v. Excess/shortage of minerals constituents
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Water associated diseases and preventive strategies
Water associated Diseases Prevention strategy
diseases (Example)
Water-borne Diarrhoea, Improve water quality
Typhoid Hepatitis Prevent casual use of unimproved
A sources
Water-scarce Roundworm Improve water quantity
(water-washed) (Ascariasis). Improve water accessibility
Trachoma, Typhus Improve hygiene
Water-based Bilharzia Decrease need for water contact
(Schistosomiasis) - control snail populations
Guinea worm - improve water quality
Water-related Malaria, Improve surface water management
insect vector River blindness, - destroy breeding sites of insects
Sleeping sickness - decrease need to visit breeding sites
and improve design of storage vessels
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Source: Cairncross et al (1981)
Diseases associated with water con’t
Excess or shortage of minerals constituents
Eg. Fluoride: Shortage dental caries (tooth decaying)
• Excess dental fluorosis (mottled teeth), skeleton
fluorosis. Crippling fluorosis
Dental fluorosis
– Measure: Regulating chemicals
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Water treatment/disinfection
Process of removing all those substances whether
biological, chemical or physical impurities which are
potentially dangerous or undesirable in water supplies for
human and domestic use.
Water treatment processes can be:
Physical treatment process??????
Chemical treatment process???????
• What is the important factor to selection proper water Rx
process?
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Main objectives of water treatment
To remove pathogenic organisms
To remove substances which impart color, taste or
odor to the water.
To remove excess/undesirable chemicals or minerals.
To regulate essential elements or chemicals (e.g.
fluoride.
To remove excess or undesirable dissolved gases.
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Types of water treatment
A. Municipality (large scale B. Homemade water (small
water) treatment scale) treatment
1. Ground water: Boiling
Aeration sand filter
Disinfection Candle filter
2. Surface water: chlorination
Screening Storage ??????????????
Coagulation SODIS (solar disinfection)
Sedimentation
Filtration
Chlorination (Pre vs Post)
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…Small-scale water
1. Household sand filter
2. Cloth filtration
3. Solar disinfection
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…Small-scale water
4. Chemical disinfection methods
4.1. Chlorine solution
4.2. Aquatabs
4.3. PUR
4.4. Wuha Agar
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