02/07/2024
Highlights on “The contribution of decentralized water systems on water quality in Maniema province, DRC”, a study financed by Enabel en RD Congo and conducted in Mikelenge and Kasuku, two communities leaving in the city of Kindu.
🌍 75% of DRC population cannot access in-home piped water, and therefore rely on self-supply from multiple water sources. Drinking water quality is low across the DRC and is responsible for negative health outcomes such as enteric diseases. The region of Kindu has been particularly affected by cholera outbreaks in the past years.
🔎 The influence of Decentralized Water Systems (DWS) on the community’s water quality was assessed through the measurement Free Residual Chlorine (FRC) & microbiological contaminations from the initial source to households’ water containers.
❗ FRC plays a crucial role in preventing microbiological contamination that can occur during the transportation and storage process.
💧 After DWS construction on both sites, equipped with WATA-PLUS and MAXI-WATA electrochlorinators for on-site active chlorine production, household water quality has been considerably improved !
💡 Key findings of the study on WATA technology, combined with a dosing and injection system:
✔ operationally feasible in large water networks
✔ properly adopted by the ASUREP, the local professional community operating drinking water network in DRC
✔ provide proper residual chlorination at point of consumption, effectively preventing microbiological contamination in households for 12 hours
👉 To find out more on DWS in Maniema province, and get socio-economic & WASH practices insights, read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2024.2312545
✍ Campos Nogueira, -Antoine Menneguerre, Daba Fam, Miala, Mesu & Prod’homme - International Journal of Environmental Health Research