Providing water of safer microbiological quality to slum dwellers: Makoko slum as case study

Abstract

As the effort to provide water for slum dwellers across the globe increases, so does the need to improve available water sources to a safer microbiological quality level. The city of Lagos is expanding rapidly, as are its slums, which do not receive water from utility supplies. The increasing slum population presents challenges for supplying water of safe microbiological quality to the slum dwellers. The aim of this research was to identify options for providing water supply of better microbiological quality in slum areas around Lagos Lagoon by assessing the various complex factors affecting delivery of safe water to the slum dwellers. An integrated approach was used which qualitatively measured the knowledge attitude and practice (KAP) and perceptions of the slum dwellers to the risks associated with water quality. It also quantitatively assessed the risks to boreholes and wells using sanitary inspection (SI) tools, comparing the SI findings to the bacterial quality of corresponding water samples and health data for water borne infections from local health facilities. The results showed that the slum dwellers have poor perceptions of the health risks associated with water and that their KAP is also poor. The sanitary inspections indicated that the water sources had high sanitary risks, which was consistent with Escherichia coli counts for water samples that were well in excess of the WHO guideline of <1 CFU/100 ml. Despite the evidence of significant faecal pollution of the aquifers, indicating the probable presence of pathogens, health records indicated a surprisingly low incidence of reported water-borne and water-washed diseases such as typhoid fever. Coping strategies might have been developed by slum dwellers to reduce the infection rates of water borne diseases. Based on the research findings, conclusions are presented on providing safe water supplies in slums in developing countries. Recommendations are made for policies and regulations which, if applied, could contribute to the provision of water of safer microbiological quality for slum dwellers around Lagos Lagoon and similar environments.