Smart electrochlorination device improves water quality in pilot study

After many years of design and development of electrochlorinator products for outdoor and defense application, Cascade Design Inc’s new Smart Electrochlorinator 200 (SE200) device may find a commercial niche as a community water solution in developing countries. PATH’s recent small-scale evaluation in Kenya confirmed that the device is indeed capable of improving water quality in challenging field conditions. Although the device has been tried in a number of use scenarios in 10 different countries, this study focused on a drinking-water kiosk operated by a local entrepreneur in the peri-urban community of Kasule within Kisumu, Kenya.

Carolyne Otieno, known locally as “Mama Meg,” is one of many emerging water kiosk entrepreneurs in Africa. From her clapboard storefront she sells treated drinking water to local households and earns a small profit for doing so. She had participated in a field test of an earlier prototype of the device starting in June 2009 and agreed to participate in this evaluation. The study sought to measure how much her client’s water improved with the inclusion of treatment and whether Mama Meg’s clients had decreased exposure to contaminated drinking water compared to non-clients living in the same area.

Methodology

A total of 30 households were selected to participate in the study. Ten households were selected among Mama Meg’s clients and,with the assistance of the village elder and local personnel from the PATH office in Kenya, a representative group of 20 additional households were selected that were not clients of Mama Meg but were socioeconomically similar to her customers. The study assessed water behaviors and norms as well as water quality in the general community. From the group of 10 clients of Mama Meg, PATH tested water quality before and after treatment. The study took place during a transition between the rainy season and dry season from April to July 2010. Water quality was determined by measuring levels of total coliforms, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and free available chlorine.

Findings

PATH discovered significant levels of fecal contamination in household drinking water of non-clients during the study period: a time when many households shift water sources in Kasule. In the wet season, many households capture rainwater from their rooftops and use it for drinking, whereas in the dry season, many of these households depend on wells, a tap located 2 to 3 km away, and/or cart vendors who sell both tap and well water to villagers. In many cases, water from untreated wells (and occasionally from cart vendors) had levels of E. coli of 100 CFUs/100 ml or more, exceeding international thresholds for safety. Among the client group, water quality remained high and within international guidelines for safety.

Relevance

All too often, products are commercially launched without understanding how the product might be used by target markets and without verifying effectiveness in real-life conditions. By conducting field trials of various use scenarios and testing product effectiveness in a potential commercially viable use-scenario, we are able to verify the device’s relevance to the commercial market and to individual community members with a critical need for clean drinking water. The results of this study will help our collaborator, Cascade Designs Inc., understand the challenging scenarios under which the device might be used and help the company determine what kind of modifications in design and/or tools and training will be needed to accompany the device as it makes its way toward commercial introduction.

For our implementation partner, in this case Aquaya Institute, the study improves its ability to match the technology with appropriate operators and water quality environments. The study also helps organizations like Aquaya identify the right size and kind of community to target to ensure maximum health improvement.

For the local community in Kasule, the study provided invaluable education and knowledge to all study participants. PATH shared its data with the local public health officer, the village elder, and participating households and provided recommendations on how to improve the quality of their water. In a needs assessment analysis, we offered ideas for how the community could engage with leaders and public health officers to improve water sources and water handling practices.

PATH staff Robyn Wilmouth shares findings with the village elder in Kasule.

As a pilot, this study also refines PATH’s approach for a larger-scale assessment and validates tools used in the study including water quality indicators, survey techniques, and direct observations.

Findings from this study will be presented on April 12 at Disinfection 2011, a conference sponsored by Water Environment Federation. When the proceedings are available, the full study will be available at www.wef.org.

Photos, from top: PATH/Robyn Wilmouth, PATH.