PMID: 9631097Jun 19, 1998Paper

Contamination of traditional drinking water sources during a period of extreme drought in the Zvimba communal lands, Zimbabwe

The Central African Journal of Medicine
P MoranM A Williams

Abstract

Diarrhoeal disease is a significant public health concern in Zimbabwe, particularly for the population living in rural settings. The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of water in a rural area of Zimbabwe during a period of extreme drought. A cross sectional survey study design was used. During the month of July 1995, water samples were collected from various actively used sources in the Zvimba communal lands, Zimbabwe. The level of contamination was estimated by use of the membrane filtration technique to detect the presence of Escherichia coli. Mean concentrations of E. coli found in boreholes and piped water were 9.3 and zero colonies per 100 ml, respectively. Using standardized criteria to define suitable drinking water quality, borehole and piped sources were determined to be more likely to provide satisfactory drinking water. Water samples collected from semi-protected and unprotected wells, which serve the majority of the population in the study area, were found to be unsatisfactory for drinking (range from two to 1,960 colonies of E. coli per 100 ml). Included are suggestions on how to efficiently utilize available water.

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