Evaluation of Hand⁻Dug Wells in Rural Haiti

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 15; no. 9; p. 1891
• Main Authors: Schram, Hayley E, Wampler, Peter J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 31.08.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Bathing; Contamination; Cooking; Drinking water; Dug wells; E coli; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Environmental Monitoring; Feces; Field study; Filtration; Groundwater; Groundwater - microbiology; Haiti; Households; Methods; Pathogens; Performance evaluation; Polyvinyl chloride; Potable water; Rivers; Rural areas; Sanitation; Sustainability; Water analysis; Water demand; Water levels; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants - analysis; Water pollution; Water Purification - methods; Water quality; Water Quality - standards; Water resources; Water sampling; Water treatment; Water Wells; Haiti; New Zealand; United States > US; Haiti; point of use treatment; filtration; developing country; water treatment; groundwater; household treatment
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15091891

Water resources, especially safe, potable water, are limited for many Haitians. In areas where shallow groundwater is available, many household water needs such as laundry, bathing, and cooking are supplied by hand⁻dug wells. In order to better understand the water quality and prevalence of these household wells, 35 hand⁻dug wells were surveyed and sampled near the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles, Haiti. Water samples were collected and tested for fecal coliform and using the IDEXX Colilert⁻18 method. Of the samples collected, 89 percent were determined unsafe to use as a drinking water source based on the World Health Organization standard of 1.0 colony⁻forming unit (cfu) per 100 mL. Sixty⁻six percent of the wells exceeded recreational/body contact standards for the state of Michigan (130 cfu/100 mL). Some of these wells were deemed suitable for conversion to a new well type called in situ filtration (ISF) wells. In situ filtration wells are installed with an internal sand filter pack, PVC casing, pump, and cap which seals the well from surface contamination and provides additional water treatment as water is pumped. Previous ISF installations have reduced to safe drinking water levels within 90 days.