Safe water and waste disposal for rural health : a program guide

This three-part guide, prepared as part of the National Demonstration Water Project"s Water for the World series, provides an overview of information needed by people who promote, design, and carry out programs to meet WS/S needs. Part One of the guide describes the link between inadequate WS/S and disease, which affects children in particular. Water-related diseases, which may be transmitted by insects which breed near water, by contact with water-borne vectors, by ingestion of water-borne microbes, or by the lack of water for hygienic purposes, are listed. They include malaria, schistosomiasis, cholera, diarrhea, onchocerciasis, and scabies. Methods for developing water quality standards for use in preventing such diseases are discussed. Part Two presents WS/S technologies appropriate to rural areas in developing countries. Steps identified for setting up a WS system are: locating a surface or groundwater source; retrieving water through the use of wells, intake structures, windmills, and/or pumps; removing contaminants through filtration, boiling, chemical disinfection, or more advanced methods; storing and distributing water; and operating and maintaining the system. Systems described for disposing of human, domestic, industrial, and solid wastes range from primitive latrines and overhang toilets to oil- and water-flushed toilets, septic tanks, cesspools, landfills, incineration, and advanced sewage treatment plants. Part Three describes how to establish and implement programs that effectively match technical solutions to specific WS/S problems. Models and guidelines are offered for national, regional, and community level WS/S planning. Finally, methods to encourage community participation and provide WS/S training are described and strategies for funding WS/S system construction and operation are outlined. Each chapter concludes with lists of sources and pertinent Technical Notes from the Water for the World series. The text is highlighted by 30 tables and 15 figures. Appended are a glossary of terms and a full listing of the Technical Notes prepared in the Water for the World series.