TITLE:
A Study of a Rudimentary Potable Water System in a Rural Community
AUTHORS:
Josue Ake, Karen Waight, Joselyn Romero, Thippi Thiagarajan
KEYWORDS:
Rudimentary Reservoir, Potable Water Quality, Rural Community
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.7 No.6,
March
30,
2015
ABSTRACT: A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate a rural community’s
efforts to solve its potable water problem. Residents of St. Margaret village
has built a rudimentary water storage facility through their community efforts
and run a network of water supply to the households of the village. The study
analyzed the water quality of the reservoir for physical, chemical and
microbiological parameters by using standard water quality measurements and
compared it between the wet and the dry seasons. The results indicate that the
temperature and the pH were highest in the month of April. The phosphate level
was high during the month of November whereas the dissolved oxygen level was
lowest during November. The presence of fecal coliforms and other pathogenic
microbes such as Salmonella and Shigella suggested that the water bodies
are not safe for human consumption. The survey of the households in the village
also revealed that health ailments associated with gastrointestinal tract are
common among the people using the water for drinking purpose. The community’s
effort in finding solution to their potable water problem has been demonstrated
in the design and execution of the rudimentary reservoir in the St. Margaret village.
Although majority of the inhabitants of the village have only primary-level
education, they were able to carry out a major engineering project.