76 million people lack access to safe drinking water in India thus increasing their risk to mortality from water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera. The poor are much more likely to be affected by unsafe drinking water than those who are financially better off.
The report titled 'Household water filter evaluation, Ahmedabad, India' published by the Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation (CITE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), informs that in such a situation, household water filters could serve as a useful frontline tool in ensuring safe drinking water, and have the potential to improve the quality of water when used correctly, consistently, and continuously. However, it is important to understand the factors that influence the choice and consistent use of effective filter designs available in the market by the consumers.
The report presents the findings of a study that explores factors affecting household filter use in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, a local government body responsible for providing civic infrastructure, has gone at great lengths to provide clean water to its residents, and piped water is often supplied for free to the poorest sections of the population in the city. However, piped water supply faces a number of challenges and requires frequent repair and maintenance due to leakages, pump failures and electrical outrages. These interruptions in water supply have been found to be linked to frequent outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases. The surface water and groundwater in the city is also found to be highly contaminated.
Although water filters are widely available in the markets, there seems to be a considerable lack of demand and information on the usefulness and effectiveness of the different type of filters. This study thus aimed at exploring:
The study used a variety of methods to collect data for evaluation including laboratory and field tests of the water filter performance, surveys of water filter retailers and households in Ahmedabad and semi-structured interviews with original equipment manufacturers and distributors in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The report ends by making some recommendations to bring about a change in the current situation that includes the following:
A copy of the paper can be downloaded below.