W A T E R Drinking Water Quality: “Boil and Drink”?

AUTHOR: Chilombo (Olga) Priscila EconomicResearcher/Statistician@ RDJ Consulting

Is boiling water sufficient to ensure its quality and safety for drinking? Well, this is the most common and fastest practice for rural area’s households from ancient time, till today Now, whether this practice which has proven to be sustainable, can be trusted or not, we will dive into that shortly, but let's first take a step back and briefly look into other common practices of water purification for rural areas.

For water purification, many rural communities prefer to use simple and cost-effective methods due to limited resources and infrastructure Such common methods utilized mainly at households’ level to ensure access to clean and safe drinking water in such areas include:

Filtration - This involves passing water through a porous material to remove physical impurities and contaminants Common filtration methods include cloth, sand and ceramic filtration

Chemical Disinfection - this entails adding chemicals to water to kill or inactivate microorganisms Common chemical disinfectants used in rural areas include chlorine, iodine and hydrogen peroxide

Solar Disinfection (SODIS) - this process requires exposing water to sunlight in transparent containers for several hours. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun kills or inactivates microorganisms present in the water, making it safe to drink. SODIS is a simple and low-cost method suitable for rural areas with adequate sunlight

There are a few other methods used to purify water in rural communities, however as mentioned earlier, the most common among them is Boiling Water. Despite having historical roots and being documented as far back as ancient times, this method remains widely used today due to its simplicity, accessibility, and relatively low cost The process requires only a heat source, such as a stove or fire, and a pot or container to boil the water in Boiling water for at least one minute (or three minutes at higher altitudes) is generally sufficient to make it safe to drink.

A e viruses, and parasites, thereby reducing the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery This method is particularly effective against common waterborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium

But is boiling enough to ensure complete safety of water consumed?

Sadly, as much as many may think completely is ensured, further research indicates otherwise While boiling is effective against many microbial contaminants, it may not remove chemical contaminants, heavy metals, or pollutants that are not affected by heat. In addition to this, boiling may concentrate certain contaminants if the water is not properly filtered before boiling Therefore, the suitability of boiling as a sole method of water treatment depends on the specific contaminants present in the water source

In fact, the quality of water from different sources can vary significantly, with some sources naturally containing fewer contaminants than others For example, groundwater from deep wells may be relatively free from surface contaminants but could still contain naturally occurring minerals or chemicals that may require additional treatment. Conversely, water from surface sources such as rivers, lakes, or canals may be more susceptible to contamination from runoff, sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural chemicals

Interestingly, this is not only an issue in rural areas Urban areas are not exempt from impacts of poorly treated potable water A good example of this is the case of Zambia. In January this year (2024), the Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema urged people to relocate from towns to villages following the deaths of about 300 people in a cholera outbreak caused by poor sanitation in some densely populated urban areas Reports attribute the spread to contaminated water, and indicate a case of over eight thousand cholera cases recorded since October

2023 spread across eight of Zambia's 10 provinces, which ledtothedelayinreopeningofschoolsthisyear

Another victim of this is Zimbabwe, who for months now has also been battling to stem the spread of cholera due tothelackofcleanwaterinthecountry

It is therefore important to note that while boiling water has proven to be a timeless, less costly, more safe and suitable method for drinking water in many rural settings, itmaynotfullyaddressunderlyingissuesrelatedtowater quality and sanitation Therefore, in areas where waterborne diseases are prevalent or where the quality of the water is questionable, boiling should be complemented with other water treatment methods such as filtration, chlorination, or UV disinfection to ensure comprehensive protection against a wide range of contaminants.

So,thenexttimeyoudecideto“boilanddrink”untreated water obtained from any surface or underground source, you need to ensure that you also have adequate filtering equipment to remove all contaminants before boiling, taking into consideration the source of that water. Otherwise, do stop and reflect about the potentially existing chemical contaminants, heavy metals, or pollutants in the water source that are not affected by heat Remember that “improving access to water, sanitationandhygienecansave1 4millionlivesperyear” (WorldHealthOrganisation)

What other effective methods do you know of being sustainable and effective for rural communities in Africa? Let'sdiscussat esa@rdjpublishing.africa

Readings: https://www bbc com/news/world-africa-67931876 https://www.who.int/news/item/28-06-2023-improving-access-towater--sanitation-and-hygiene-can-save-1 4-million-lives-peryear--says-new-whorepohttps://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-watertreatment/household water treatment htmlrt https://www epa gov/ground-water-and-drinkingwater/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water