Narrow-Mouthed Water Storage Vessels and in Situ Chlorination in a Bolivian Community: A Simple Method to Improve Drinking Water Quality

Robert E. Quick Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Linda V. Venczel Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Oscar Gonzalez Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Eric D. Mintz Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Anita K. Highsmith Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Angelica Espada Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Esther Damiani Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Nancy H. Bean Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Erika H. De Hannover Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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Robert V. Tauxe Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, and Scientific Resources Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Proyecto Salud Infantil y Comunitaria, Secretaria de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud, Atlanta, Georgia, Bolivia

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1996.54.511
Volume/Issue:
Volume 54: Issue 5
Page(s):
511–516
Restricted access
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Epidemiologic investigations of the Latin America cholera epidemic have repeatedly implicated untreated drinking water and water touched by hands during storage as important vehicles for disease transmission. To prevent such transmission, we provided a new narrow-mouthed, plastic, water storage vessel and 5% calcium hypochlorite solution for home disinfection of stored water to a Bolivian Aymara Indian community at risk for cholera. We evaluated acceptance of this intervention and its effect on water quality. Each of 42 families in the study obtained water from a household well; fecal coliform bacteria were found in water from 39 (93%) of 42 wells and 33 (79%) of 42 usual water storage vessels. One group of families received the special vessels and chlorine (group A), a second received only the special vessels (group B), and a third served as a control group (group C). Water samples collected every three weeks from group A special vessels had lower geometric mean fecal coliform colony counts (P < 0.0001) and lower geometric mean Escherichia coli colony counts (P < 0.0001) than water from group B or C vessels. Adequate levels of free chlorine persisted in these vessels for at least 5 hr. The special vessels and chlorine solution were well accepted and continued to be used for at least six months. Use of the vessel and chlorine solution produced drinking water from nonpotable sources that met World Health Organization standards for microbiologic quality.

Author Notes

Copyright:
Copyright © 1996 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1996
Published Online:
May 1996
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
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