Relative benefits of piped water supply over other “improved” sources: A case study from rural Vietnam
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Overview
This poster was presented by Dr. Joe Brown at Singapore International Water Week 2010
Abstract
Access to improved water sources is rapidly expanding in rural central Vietnam. We examined one market-based, NGO-led, piped water supply program to assess the drinking water quality and health impacts of piped water systems where access to “improved” water sources (protected wells and rainwater harvesting) is already good. This longitudinal, prospective cohort study included 300 households in seven project areas in Da Nang province, Vietnam: 224 randomly selected households who paid to connect to one of seven piped water systems and 76 control households from the same areas relying primarily on “improved” water sources outside the home. The four-month study was intended to specifically measure the impact of the NGO-led water programs on households’ drinking water quality and health and to evaluate system performance. Other observed water use and handling practices, including point-of-use water treatment by boiling, were also examined for possible associations with household drinking water quality and health.