Drinking Water

Solar disinfection of drinking water contained in transparent plastic bottles : characterizing the bacterial inactivation process

by Michael Elmore-Meegan

STRENGTHENING COLLABORATIONS FOR WATER-RELATED RISK COMMUNICATIONS

by Lisa Ragain

Disinfection Process of Water Supply System in the Gaza Strip Between Real Practice and WHO Limitations

by MOHAMMED Al SAFADY

The main objective of the current research is to evaluate the disinfection process of water supply system in highly... more The main objective of the current research is to evaluate the disinfection process of water supply system in highly populated area in the Gaza Strip based on world health organization limitations for residual chlorine to ensure the microbiological safety of drinking water. The study relied mainly on the measurements of residual chlorine in the drinking water network of Jabalia city in the period between February 2009 until April 2010 of fixed sampling points representing the whole area network. Digital colorimeter is used to measure free chlorine and/or total chlorine residual at the monitoring points. A DPD-1 (free chlorine) or DPD-3 (total chlorine) tablet is added to a vial of sample water that causes a color change to pink. The vial is inserted into a meter that reads the intensity of the color change by emitting a wavelength of light and automatically determining and displaying the color intensity (the free or total chlorine residual) digitally. The study showed that some concentrations of residual chlorine in municipal water distribution network was infringement of the allowed values according to WHO standards by 41.4%, moreover a high rate of residual chlorine in some monitoring points up than value of the chlorine injected into the source for Jabalia. The study confirmed the existence of inverse correlation between the amount of residual chlorine and the distance from the source of chlorination in water supply networks. The results were discusses and appropriate recommendations were done in order to maintain the quality and safety of drinking water.

Study of the bank filtered groundwater system of the Sava River at Zagreb (Croatia) using isotope analyses

by István Fórizs

Authors: Nada Horvatinčić, Jadranka Barešić, Ines Krajcar Bronić, Bogomil Obelić, Krisztina Kármán and István Fórizs (2011)

Radioactive isotope tritium (3H) and stable isotopes of hydrogen (2H/1H) and oxygen (18O/16O) were measured during... more Radioactive isotope tritium (3H) and stable isotopes of hydrogen (2H/1H) and oxygen (18O/16O) were measured during 2010 in the Sava River, precipitation and groundwater at 3 monitoring wells and 1 production well of the Petruševec aquifer, close to the Sava River in the Zagreb area. Significant increase of 3H activity in the Sava River was observed in June, (200 ± 20) TU, and in groundwater of all wells with damped response (maximum 60 TU) and with delay of 3–5 months related to the Sava River. This increase was explained by release of tritiated water from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, 30 km upstream from Zagreb in the beginning of June 2010. Stable isotope analyses showed similar range of δ2H and δ18O values for the Sava River and groundwater samples with higher variations in surface water. Differences in monthly variations of δ18O values between particular monitoring wells, together with 3H values, indicated different infiltration times of surface water of the Sava River to different wells of the Petruševec aquifer

Restoring Drinking Water Acceptance following a Water-borne Disease Outbreak: The Role of Trust, Risk Perception, Blame, and Communication.

by Chris Fife-Schaw

This paper has been accepted for publication as:
Bratanova, B., Morrison, G., Fife-Schaw, C., Chenoweth, J. & Mangold, M. (in press). Restoring Drinking Water Acceptance following a Water-borne Disease Outbreak: The Role of Trust, Risk Perception, Blame, and Communication. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

Although research shows that acceptance, trust, and risk perception are often related, little is known about the... more Although research shows that acceptance, trust, and risk perception are often related, little is known about the underlying patterns of causality among the three constructs. In the context of a water-borne disease outbreak, we explored via zero-order/partial correlation analysis whether acceptance predicts both trust and risk perception (associationist model), or whether trust influences risk perception and acceptance (causal chain model). The results supported the causal chain model suggesting a causal role for trust. A subsequent path analysis confirmed that the effect of trust on acceptance is fully mediated by risk perception. It also revealed that trust is positively predicted by prior institutional trust and communication with the public. Implications of the findings for response strategies to contamination events are discussed. Key words: trust, acceptance, risk perception

Development and Infrastructure in Marginalised Communities, Safe Drinking Water in Rural Bangladesh

by Crelis Rammelt

PhD University of New South Wales, 2009

The poor in most developing countries are persistently marginalised in their living conditions, including their access... more The poor in most developing countries are persistently marginalised in their living conditions, including their access to safe drinking water. The research objectives have been (1) to better understand why this state of affairs has endured despite decades of efforts and interventions, and (2) to propose more adequate alternatives. The central case study was concerned with drinking water in rural Bangladesh – a matter of grave urgency since the discovery of arsenic in the groundwater more than a decade ago. Millions of users are exposed to dangerous levels of contamination, and the implementation of solutions has been slow and inadequate. Little has been done so far to integrate the research on this complex humanitarian crisis.

Many have argued that conventional views on development are ill-equipped to address the ‘growing gap’ between rich and poor; the models often fail to interpret inequity beyond mere financial indicators. This thesis therefore puts forward a different analytical framework (based on the theoretical concepts of core-periphery and capital stock). This was designed to increase our understanding of marginalisation by taking into account unequal ownership of, entitlement to, and control over, ecological, technological, organisational and human assets.

Through an action research methodology, this analytical framework was informed by a participatory programme that established safe drinking water supplies in several poor and arsenic-affected villages. The learning experience was then fed back into the programme. This pragmatic approach was also systemic, i.e., it emphasised the community level, which was framed within the context of external influences, various other programmes and national policies.

This resulted in a clarification of the problem in terms of (1) lack of ownership of community land, resources, drinking water institutions and technical knowledge; (2) restricted access to (non-) governmental services and benefits from public or collective assets; and (3) exclusion from decision-making in new water sector developments. It was concluded that alternative strategies need to focus on vesting ownership, entitlement and control in marginalised communities. The steps to achieve this will have far-reaching ramifications for how organisations, policymakers and funding agencies perceive and plan development projects.

The analytical and methodological approach of this thesis is relevant to other cases of marginalisation in different socio-economic contexts.