Removal of waterborne bacteria from surface water and groundwater by cost-effective household water treatment systems (HWTS): A sustainable solution for improving water quality in rural communities of Africa

Abstract

In 2008, the World Health Organisation reported the per centage of rural populations within some African countries still using unimproved water sources. These were reported to be 72% for the Democratic Republic of Congo, 71% for Madagascar and Mozambique, 62% for Angola, 55% for Tanzania, 54% for Zambia, 28% for Zimbabwe, 23% for Malawi, 19% for Lesotho, 14% for Swaziland, 12% for Namibia and 10% for Botswana (WHO/UNICEF, 2010). In South Africa, the supply of safe drinking water to rural and urban populations has improved from 59% in 1994 to 97% in 2010. According to statistics released in 2010, about 1.65 million out of 49 mil lion people in South Africa do not have access to a safe water supply. The Department of Water Affairs is therefore seeking simple and appropriate water treatment technology options by means of which the 3% of the population in need of safe drinking water can treat the water sources that are available to them (DWA, 2010).

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