One of the standard methods of looking at water quality is to sample a stream.

However a very low, or zero, bacteria result doesn’t mean the location is a safe source.

Below are three reasons why a low bacteriological sample value may not be providing good information:

Sample Not Truly Representative

The typical stream sample is 1 Litre.

Even a small stream is likely to have a flow of up to 500litres/min, thats 720,000 litres per day.

That means you are sampling 0.00014% of that days flow, hardly representative!

Changing Water Quality

Water Quality in a stream is not consistant, for example:

• Rainfall will wash dirt and faeces into the stream.
• Dry periods, with low flows, may concentrate any contamination
• Animals, birds, and humans live in the catchment and may use it for washing, and defacation.

Sampling Protocols

For accurate testing extensive protocols need to be performed, for example:

• Proper preparation of sample bottles;
• Refrigerate samples during transport:
• Deliver to an accredited laboratory on day of collection;

For a full range of protocols see this Tasmanian Goverment document Community Water Samples

Without the correct protocols, which may be difficult in many developing countries, the may be very large.

The Value of Water Testing

The above problems do not mean that water testing shouldn’t be carried out.

Water Tests are valuable for:

• Comparing bacterial quality of different sources of water for a community.
• Providing Information on the types of natural chemicals in the water that can cause health concerns, for instance arsenic, and flouride.
• Identifying pollution from industrial processes and mining.

How To Achieve Safe Water

The best way to ensure safe drinking water is:

• Having a source water that is free of harmfull chemicals.
• Have a treatment system that reliably removes ALL bacteria from the water.

Disaster Aid Australia continue to install SkyHydrants, as they have proved highly effective at removing ALL bacteria from water.

This has reduced illness in serviced communities by more than 70%.

Every dollar donated to Disaster Aid Australia’s ‘Safe Water for Every Child’ program provides one person with safe water for one year.

To Help click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

Rain Water Collection is Cost Effective

I recently saw a report about a Rain Water Collection system.

This was based on providing gutters, pipes and tanks for the existing roofs of buildings in the community.

The cost of the system to provide safe water for 900 people was $72,000.

That is a cost of $80 per person.

This type of system also has the problem that with during extended dry periods their is a risk of the water running out.

Comparison with a SkyHydrant System

Disaster Aid Australia has been providing SkyHydrants to schools and communities at a cost of $5,000 for several years through our Safe Water for Every Child projects.

Each SkyHydrant installation can serve a community of 700 people.

That is a cost of of $7.14 per person, less than a tenth of the per capita cost of a rainwater collection system!

Because most SkyHydrant installations are supplied from existing spring fed streams they withstand much longer dry periods than a roof collection system.

Disaster Aid Australia might be able to help you provide a cost effective safe water system to your project.

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to deliver ‘Safe Water for Every Child’ SkyHydrants to developing countries click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.