Consumption Of Unsafe Water Research Articles

Physio-chemical and microbial assessment of the source of drinking water and the prevailing waterborne diseases in Gwagwalada Municipal Area Council of Abuja, Nigeria

Water contamination poses a serious threat to the wellbeing of people globally. In Nigeria, there have been increasing cases of waterborne diseases owing to water contamination, thus becoming public health concerns. This study investigated the physio-chemical properties, microbial loads of borehole water samples from Gwagwalada area council of Abuja and its prevailing waterborne diseases. Borehole water samples were collected from five wards of the council area (Gwagwalada central (YZTM), University of Abuja Staff quarters (YZTMB), Dobi (SBWTM), Tunga Maje (TMCBW), and Ikwa (YZBTM) in triplicate and analyzed for physiochemical properties (temperature, conductivity, pH, turbidity, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and heavy metals) and microbial contamination using standard methods. Surveillance to determine the prevalence of waterborne diseases was also carried out in the health facilities of the area council. All samples showed variable concentrations in most of the physiochemical parameters and were within the recommended thresholds except for conductivity (596.01 ± 0.00 μS/cm) and chlorine (254.18 ± 0.00 mg/l) in TMCBW sample and total dissolved solids in TMCBW (948.01 ± 14.14 mg/l) and YZTM (GC) (1871.00 ± 55.15 mg/l) water samples. E. coli, Enterobacter spp., Shigella spp., Lactobacillus spp., Pseudomonas ssp., and Proteus ssp. were bacteria isolates of the samples. Principal component analysis of interrelationship showed a strong positive relationship between some physio-chemical parameters and sampling locations. Also, there was heavy burden of gastrointestinal (waterborne) diseases. The study concludes that the borehole samples from the area were contaminated and maybe unfit for consumption. Thus, call for interventions that provide safer portable water or treat existing water sources towards achieving SDG No. 6 and to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases that could emanate from the consumption of unsafe water.

Hypertuning-Based Ensemble Machine Learning Approach for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring and Prediction

In the present day, the health of the populace is significantly jeopardized by the presence of contaminated water, and the majority of the population is unaware of the distinction between safe and unsafe water consumption. Agricultural, industrial, and other human-induced activities are causing a significant decline in the availability of drinking water. Consequently, the issue of ensuring the safety of ingesting water is becoming increasingly prevalent. People should be aware of the purity of the water and the locations where it can be used in order to resolve this situation. There are numerous IoT-based system architectures that are capable of monitoring water parameters; however, the majority of these architectures do not allow for real-time water quality prediction or visualization. In order to achieve this, we suggest a wireless framework that is based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The sensors are able to capture water parameters and transmit the data to the cloud, where a machine learning (ML) model operates to classify the water quality. After that, Grafana enables us to effortlessly visualize the real-time data and predictions from any location. We employed a multi-class dataset from China for the model’s construction. GridSearchCV was implemented to identify the optimal parameters for model optimization. The proposed model is a combination of the Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), and Histogram Gradient Boosting (HGB) models. The accuracy of the model for the China dataset was 99.80%. To assess the robustness of the proposed model, we acquired a new dataset from the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and used it to test the proposed model. The model’s accuracy for this dataset was 99.72%. In summary, the proposed wireless IoT framework enables individuals to effortlessly monitor the purity of water and view its parameters from any location.

Reduction of Malnutrition Related to Unsafe Water Consumption in Developing Countries: Potabilization of Surface Water and Traditional Well Water, with Plant Extracts.

The consumption of unsafe water in rural areas is a real public health problem in developing countries. This situation mainly affects children under five years of age and causes several deaths and many cases of malnutrition every year. The objective of this study was to evaluate and optimize the capacity of four local plant extracts in the potabilization of unsafe water. Thus, Moringa oleifera and Boscia senegalensis seeds, or Aloe vera and Opuntia ficus-indica mucilages were prepared in a solution and applied during a jar test as biocoagulants and bioflocculants on three raw water samples of 82.3 NTU, 549.8 NTU and 796.9 NTU. After treatment results showed that 0.9 g/L of Moringa biocoagulant or 1 g/L of Boscia biocoagulant applied with 0.4 mL of Aloe vera bioflocculant or 0.6 mL of Opuntia ficus-indica bioflocculant reduced the turbidity of each water sample to values less than 5 NTU after only 15 min of decanting. Moreover, the sanitary quality of the water treated by these different extracts showed a perfect conformity of the physicochemical and microbiological parameters with the standards of acceptability in drinking water decreed by the World Health Organization. Thus, the application of these local plant extracts has made it possible to considerably improve the quality of unsafe water in record time. Their popularization could be an alternative in the fight against malnutrition related to the consumption of unsafe water, especially in rural areas.

Evaluation of Molecular Methods to Be Used in Sensors for The Detection of Bacteria in Water

Pathogen contamination of environmental waters is a major health risk and a threat to future supplies of water for living organisms and their recreational activities. The consumption of unsafe water contaminated by bacteria, viruses, or parasites is responsible for waterborne diseases and is considered a major burden on public health, presenting a significant obstacle to socioeconomic development all over the world.

A planetary boundary-based method to assess freshwater use at the global and local scales

Many studies have attempted to evaluate the transgression of the water planetary boundary at sub-global levels. Typically, this has been done by assessing water consumption in a country/city or sector against the assigned share of the global limit. Such an approach enables evaluating whether a sub-global unit operates within the safe global limits. However, it ignores spatial water availability and thus may provide an incomplete image of water-related environmental impacts and thus local boundaries. This study demonstrates how the water planetary boundary concept can be integrated within the Environmentally Extended Multi-Region Input-Output (EEMRIO) framework to assess global and local (watershed level) boundaries. Our results demonstrate that even though most countries operate within globally safe limits, for several countries, a large share of water comes from watersheds that have reached unsafe water consumption levels. This highlights the importance of combining local and global level assessments to design more accurate and tailored policy responses targeting specific watersheds that are most at risk.

Geospatial analysis of the associations between environmental contamination with livestock feces and children with chronic fascioliasis in the Anta province of Cusco, Peru.

Fasciola hepatica is a neglected parasitic infection with significant human health and livestock industry impact. The Andean Altiplano harbors an estimated 50% of the Fasciola's world infection burden. There is scarce data regarding the spatial associations between different Fasciola hosts. In this project, we aimed to determine the geospatial relationships between Fasciola eggs passed in feces of different livestock species and the risk of infection among each household as a unit. We used data from a cross-sectional study evaluating children and livestock feces for Fasciola infection around households in three districts of Anta province, in the Cusco region of Peru. Each sample was geographically tagged and evaluated for fascioliasis using microscopy methods. A total of 2070 households were included, the median age was 9.1 years (6.7-11.8), 49.5% were female, and 7.2% of the households had at least one infected child. A total of 2420 livestock feces samples were evaluated. The infection rate in livestock samples was 30.9%. The highest infection rate was found in sheep with 40.8%, followed by cattle (33.8%), and swine (26.4%). The median distance between a household with an infected child to a positive animal sample was 44.6 meters (IQR 14.7-112.8) and the distance between a household with no infected children to a positive animal sample was 62.2 meters (IQR 18.3-158.6) (p = 0.025). The multivariable logistic regression adjusted by presence of poor sanitation, unsafe water consumption, altitude, and presence of multiple infected children per household demonstrated an association between household infection and any cattle feces at a 50 meters radius (Uninfected: OR 1.42 (95%CI 1.07-1.89), p = 0.017. Infected: OR 1.89 (95%CI 1.31-2.73), p = 0.001), positive cattle feces at a 100 meters radius (OR 1.35 (95% CI 1.08-1.69), p = 0.008), and negative cattle feces at a 200 meters radius (OR 1.08 (95% CI 1.01-1.15), p = 0.022). We identified potential hot and cold spots for fascioliasis in the Anta province. An association between environmental contamination with feces from different livestock species and infected children in rural households was found in our study. Local health authorities may apply this strategy to estimate the risk of infection in human populations and apply targeted interventions.

IoT-based automated water pollution treatment using machine learning classifiers

ABSTRACT Water is one of the most vital sources for the survival of life. In the globe, the accessibility of water in safe and healthy ways is a major concern. The consumption of unsafe water may lead to health risks. Therefore, it is necessary to classify and monitor the quality of water, but the main issue is that sufficient parametric quality measures are not available with advanced technology. To overcome the above issue, this paper presents an IoT-based automated water quality monitoring system using cloud and machine learning algorithms. It contains various sensor devices such as pH sensors, temperature sensors, turbidity sensors, and conductivity sensors. The classification of water quality in an accurate way is achieved by using the fusion of K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The sensor values are generated and transferred in the cloud server via Node MCU with low power wide area networks (LPWAN). This proposed work can replace the classification and monitoring of the traditional method to qualify the water status. It helps to save human beings from various infections and diseases caused by the unsafe usage of water. Water quality classification is very important to create an eco-friendly environment. This proposed machine learning algorithm KNN + SVM is tested by 10-fold cross-validation and the highest accuracy is 0.94, when compared with the existing algorithm.

Magnitude of Stunting and Associated Factors among Adolescent Students in Legehida District, Northeast Ethiopia.

Background Undernutrition including stunting particularly at an adolescent stage was not emphasized by various intervention strategies in the Ethiopian context. Assessing the magnitude and potential risk factors of undernutrition is thus helpful for policymakers to design appropriate intervention strategies. Hence, this study was aimed at assessing the magnitude of stunting and associated factors among adolescent students in Legehida district, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 adolescent students from February 15th to March 15th, 2018. A stratified sampling followed by a simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A pretested, structured, and self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the required data. Height was measured by using a portable stadiometer and the height-for-age (HFA) z-score was calculated as an indicator of stunting. SPSS version 25 and WHO AnthroPlus software were applied to analyze the data. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with adolescent stunting. Statistical significance was determined at a p value of <0.05 and association was described by using an odds ratio at a 95% confidence interval. Results A total of 406 adolescent students (with a response rate of 95.7%) participated in the study. The magnitude of stunting among adolescent students in this study was 24.9% (95% CI: 24.6%–35.3%). Conclusions Stunting among adolescent students was significantly associated with being male [AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.73–5.90], meal frequency (<3/day) [AOR = 4.6; 95% CI: 2.61–8.24], infrequent handwashing practice [AOR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.30–9.40], absence of latrine facility (AOR = 5.51; 95% CI: 3.03–9.9), and consumption of unsafe water [AOR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.35–6.19]. Hence, conducting routine nutrition screenings and assessments, promotion of proper food intake, and emphasis on nutrition education and counseling are needed to be strengthened.

Molecular Engineering of Hydrogels for Rapid Water Disinfection and Sustainable Solar Vapor Generation.

Consumption of unsafe water is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing regions. Pasteurizing or boiling water to remove pathogens is energy-intensive and often impractical to off-grid communities. Therefore, low capital cost, rapid and energy-efficient water disinfection methods are urgently required to address global challenges of safe water access. Here, anti-bacterial hydrogels (ABHs) with catechol-enabled molecular-level hydrogen peroxide generators and quinone-anchored activated carbon particles are designed for effective water treatment. The bactericidal effect is attributed to the synergy of hydrogen peroxide and quinone groups to attack essential cell components and disturb bacterial metabolism. ABHs can be directly used as tablets to achieve >99.999% water disinfection efficiency within 60min without energy input. No harmful byproducts are formed during the treatment process, after which the ABH tablets can be easily removed without residues. Taking advantage of their excellent photothermal and biofouling-resistant properties, ABHs can also be applied as solar evaporators to achieve stable water purification under sunlight (≤1kW m-2 ) after months of storage and operation in bacteria-containing river water. The ABH platform offers reduced energy and chemical demands for point-of-use water treatment technologies in remote areas and emergency rescue applications.

Investigation of Dracunculiasis Transmission among Humans, Chad, 2013-2017.

.Dracunculiasis, slated for global eradication, typically is acquired by drinking stagnant water containing microscopic crustaceans (copepods) infected with Dracunculus medinensis larvae, causing clusters of case persons with worms emerging from the skin. Following a 10-year absence of reported cases, 9–26 sporadic human cases with few epidemiologic links have been reported annually in Chad since 2010; dog infections have also been reported since 2012. We conducted an investigation of human cases in Chad to identify risk factors. We conducted a case–control study using a standardized questionnaire to assess water and aquatic animal consumption, and links to dog infections. Case persons had laboratory-confirmed D. medinensis during 2013–2017. Each case person was matched to one to three controls without history of disease by age, gender, and residency in the village where the case person was likely infected. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) using simple conditional logistic regression. We enrolled 25 case persons with 63 matched controls. Dracunculiasis was associated with consumption of untreated water from hand-dug wells (OR: 13.4; 95% CI: 1.7–108.6), but neither with consumption of aquatic animals nor presence of infected dogs in villages. Unsafe water consumption remains associated with dracunculiasis. Education of populations about consuming safe water and using copepod filters to strain unsafe water should continue and expand, as should efforts to develop and maintain safe drinking water sources. Nevertheless, the peculiar epidemiology in Chad remains incompletely explained. Future studies of dogs might identify other risk factors.

Proliferation of Slums in Sub-Saharan Africa: Environmental Exposures and Human Health Effects

Slum settlements are a very prominent feature of the urban landscape of developing countries owing to uncontrolled urbanization in these countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for example, cities such as Accra, Lagos, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg and Durban are home to some of the world’s largest slum settlements. SSA and South Asia are the most rapidly urbanizing regions of the world. The highest population growth in urban areas are found in these two regions and are concentrated mainly in slum settlements. SSA records the highest number of slum dwellers with about 62% of its urban population residing in slums. Slum settlements are characterized by poor and damp housing, poor sanitation, open drains, and worsening air quality from unpaved roads, increased use of biomass fuels for cooking and open burning of solid waste. These deplorable environmental conditions exposes slum dwellers to pathogens and air pollution. Lack of pipe-borne water in slum areas has also meant consumption of unsafe water owing to reliance on ground and surface water which are often polluted by open drains and nearby pit latrines. Pit latrines are also in widespread use in these settlements.The environmental exposures in slum settlements have been attributed to the high burden of disease and ill-health recorded in these areas including diarrhea, cholera, gastroenteritis, respiratory illnesses, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and cardiovascular diseases. There is growing epidemiological evidence associating these environmental exposures with the listed adverse health outcomes. In this talk, drawing on evidence from the limited studies conducted in slum settlements of SSA cities, an overview of the environmental exposures and the frequently reported health conditions in these settlements will be provided. Solutions for addressing the deplorable environmental conditions in slum settlements will also be proffered for improved health of slum dwellers and for population health gains.

Physicochemical and Hydrogeological Characteristics of Water Obtained From Borehole and Rivers in Okada and Environs, Edo State, Nigeria

The consumption of unsafe water is detrimental to human health. It is therefore important to ascertain the quality and purity of water set out for drinking purpose. This paper therefore investigates the physicochemical and hydrogeological properties of water obtained from boreholes and rivers located at various sites in Okada town and environs, Edo State, Nigeria. The physicochemical parameters were analyzed using standard methods. Results obtained for the physicochemical properties showed that the concentration of phosphate, sulphates, nitrates and manganese in the samples range between (0.0310-0.450) mg/L, (0.05-1.01) mg/L, (0.021-1.0) mg/L and (0.01-0.41) mg/L respectively. The maximum concentration of calcium and sodium in all the samples analyzed was 1.27 mg/L and 8.65mg/L. Comparison of the pH value of the samples shows they are all acidic in nature, with pH values which ranges from (4.3 – 6.0). In all the samples analyzed, it was observed that no trace of heavy metal (lead) was found except in Iguvinyoba River (down-stream) with a concentration of 0.001 mg/L. The biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) values from all the water samples are below the WHO standard while the dissolved oxygen (DO) values are above the WHO standard. The results revealed that physicochemical parameters were slightly below WHO and NAFDAC standards for drinking water, except for the high iron (Fe) content at Usen. Thus from established standard, the borehole and river water in the study area will need some treatment to render it suitable for drinking. &#x0D; Keywords: physicochemical, hydrogeological properties, quality, drinking purpose, borehole and river water.

A review on the use of plant seeds in water treatment

Global population, which has been estimated by United Nations to hit 9.8 Billion by the middle of this century and the corresponding demand for clean, affordable and portable water, which is not readily available, especially for developing countries and even developed ones, has become a course for concern. It is estimated that 1.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water and about 2.2 million people die annually, mostly of children under five due to consumption of unsafe water. The use of inorganic chemicals in treating water is fast becoming problematic, as it is associated with different deteriorating human health condition and pollution of water bodies. Simple to complex methods are involved in this, but the general procedure involves, collection of plant seeds, drying, grinding/extraction of active compounds and its application in water sample.

A comparative study on the effect of household water treatment on diarrhoea morbidity among under-fives in Plateau State, Nigeria using two treatment modalities

Background: Consumption of unsafe water contributes to diarrhoeal burden in sub-Sahara Africa. This burden can be reduced by simple and affordable methods of household water treatment. The study aims at comparing the effect of two of such methods on diarrheal burden among under-fives in rural communities of Plateau State.&#x0D; Methodology: A community-based quasi experimental study was conducted among 202 underfive-caregiver pairs in two selected rural communities of Plateau State, involving household water treatment with flocculant-disinfectant powder in intervention group and sodium hypochlorite solution in control group respectively. History of diarrhoea before intervention, at 2 weekly intervals during the intervention and after intervention was assessed. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Prevalence and incidence of diarrhoea were calculated and compared among the two groups.&#x0D; Result: Diarrhoea prevalence at pre-intervention was 19.6% in flocculant-disinfectant group and 17.0% in sodium hypochlorite group. At post intervention, the prevalence reduced significantly by 94.7% (19.6% to 1%) in intervention group and by 76.5% (17% to 4.2%) in control group. There was no statistical significant difference in the prevalence of diarrhoea between the two groups, however, diarrhoea incidence in the sodium hypochlorite group (1.12 episode per child per year) was significantly higher than the incidence in the flocculant-disinfectant group (0.59 episodes per child per year) with a risk-ratio of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.037 - 3.703).&#x0D; Conclusion: Household water treatment with flocculant-disinfectant reduced diarrhoea burden better than sodium hypochlorite. This technology should be made more available and assessible to rural communities where diarrhea burden is high.

Assessment of Physicochemical Properties and Heavy Metals in Borehole Water Used For Drinking In Okada Town, Edo State, Nigeria

The consumption of unsafe water is detrimental to human health. It is therefore important to ascertain the quality and purity of water set out for drinking. This paper investigates the physiochemical properties of drinkingwater obtained from boreholes located at various sites in Okada town, Nigeria. The assessment of physicochemical properties and heavy metal contents of groundwater (borehole) quality were evaluated. Ten water samples labeled A-J were collected from boreholes at different locations in Okada community and subjected to laboratory test to determine the pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), hardness, turbidity, total organic carbon, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, and concentration of phosphates, nitrates, lead, sodium, calcium and chloride. The pH in the water samples is an indication of acidity and the WHO standard for pH value is specified within the range of 6.5-8.5. However the pH values obtained for the samples are A(4.37), B(4.44), C(5.06), D(4.86), E(6.40), F(4.25), G(5.95), H(4.53 ), I(6.61) and J(5.70). This implies that only the sample I of pH value 6.61 falls within the WHO standard and safe for drinking. Thus, the water from the community can only be considered safe to drink except a neutralizing filter is incorporated into the water system in other to avert the implications of consuming acidic water.Keywords: borehole, physicochemical-parameters, chemical-oxygen-demand, dissolved- oxygen

Increasing the regular use of safe water kiosk through collective psychological ownership: A mediation analysis

Unsafe water consumption is the environmental risk factor in sub-Saharan Africa contributing most to premature death. In urban slums and dispersed rural communities, where access to safe water is especially limited, water kiosks are a relevant safe water source. However, irregular use challenges their operational viability and may cause discontinuation. The present study investigated collective psychological ownership for the kiosk as a potential factor to increase regular kiosk use. Data were collected cross-sectionally in one urban and two rural kiosk sites through interviews in study households (N = 205) and analyzed by path analysis. Involvement in decision-making related to the kiosks explained collective psychological ownership for the kiosks. Collective psychological ownership, in turn, explained self-reported kiosk use through social-cognitive factors. The results emphasize the importance of community involvement in decisions related to kiosk installation and maintenance because it may contribute to regular kiosk use.

Do biomass fuel use and consumption of unsafe water mediate educational inequalities in stillbirth risk? An analysis of the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey

BackgroundNumerous studies have explored the association between educational inequalities and stillbirth but most have failed to elaborate how low educational attainment leads to an increased risk of stillbirth. We hypothesised...

Determinants of Household Drinking Water Quality in Rural Ethiopia

Safe and adequate water supply is a vital element to preserve human health; however, access to clean water is limited in many developing countries. Furthermore, improved water sources are often contaminated with fecal matters and consumption of unsafe water poses a great public health risk. This study seeks to identify determinants of microbial contamination of household drinking water under multiple-use water systems in rural areas of Fogera and Mecha districts of Ethiopia. In this analysis, a random sample of 454 households was surveyed from February to March 2014, and water samples from community sources and storage containers were collected and tested for fecal contamination. The number of Escherichia coli (E.coli) colony forming units per 100ml (cfu/100ml) water was used as an indicator of fecal contamination. The results show that 50% of households used protected water sources, 38% used unprotected wells/ spring and 12% used surface water sources. However, water microbiological tests demonstrated that 58% of household storage water samples and 74% of water sources were contaminated with E.coli. After controlling for household sanitary factors, high level of E.coli bacteria colonies were observed in unprotected water compared to surface water and protected wells/springs sources. To ensure the quality and safety of water stored in the household, our findings suggest that point-of-use water treatment, safe water handling and storage, proper hygiene practices such as washing hands after critical times and proper disposal of household garbage should be promoted. On-site water wells should be properly designed to prevent seepage from unhygienic household pit latrine. Furthermore, community water sources should be adequately protected and sanitary measures should be undertaken regularly to reduce contamination from human and animal waste.

Leptospirosis frequency and socio-demographic characteristics associated in febrile patients from northern Perú

INDRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is a frequent cause of febrile illness around the world, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas such as Perú. To estimate the frequency and socio-demographic characteristics associated with leptospirosis in febrile patients in northern Perú. A cross sectional study was conducted from January to December 2014 in 143 fever cases admitted to the Hospital Regional Lambayeque, Perú. Structured for socio-demographic information and sanitation questionnaire was used. Serum samples were examined to quantitatively determine the presence of IgM antibodies to leptospira using ELISA IgM. The frequency was 26.6% (95% CI 19.3 to 33.8) and independently associated features were: be between 20-54 years (OR: 3.36, 95% CI 1.17 to 9, 64), work in agriculture-livestock (OR: 6.15, 95% CI 1.99 to 19.05),contact with animals (OR: 4,13, IC 95%: 1,76-9,65) and consumption of unsafe water(OR: 3,33, IC 95%: 1,49-7,43). This study reveals a high frequency of leptospirosis among febrile patients from northern Perú. These results indicate the need to investigate routinely leptospirosis in febrile patients, especially those exhibiting risk characteristics.

Access to, and use of, water by populations living in a schistosomiasis and fascioliasis co-endemic area of northern Côte d’Ivoire

Water is an essential element of life, but it can also be a source of disease. Apart from direct consumption of unsafe water, direct contact and indirect consumption puts people at risk of many different types of pathogens. Employing a mixed methods approach, consisting of questionnaires and direct observations, we assessed access to, and use of, different water sources by the participants of the district des Savanes in northern Côte d'Ivoire. The use of water sources was put in relation to the potential risk of acquiring schistosomiasis and fascioliasis. Overall, 489 people aged 8 to 82 years participated. While all participants had access to safe water, 63% were in direct contact with unimproved water and 31% directly consumed unsafe water. More than a third of the people who otherwise reported using only improved water for all activities came in contact with unimproved water through crossing open water when going to their workplace, school or other destinations. Self-reported blood in urine – a marker for Schistosoma haematobium with reasonable sensitivity and specificity – was reported by 6% (n=30), self-reported blood in stool – an unspecific marker for Schistosoma mansoni – was reported by 7% (n=35), while blood co-occurring in both urine and stool was reported by another 10% (n=48) of participants. Accessing unimproved water for any activity (including crossing) was associated with higher odds of reporting blood in urine and/or blood in stool (odds ratio: 1.90; 95% confidence interval: 1.07–3.36). Our results have important rami-fications for intervention programmes targeting neglected tropical diseases, and emphasize the need for a wider supply of safe water to rural populations, since the water supply at the workplace needs to be considered as well next to the water supply at home. Crossing of open water sources is an important risk factor for sustained transmission of schistosomiasis.