Measuring knowledge and practices around household water treatment

Before launching its first pilot project in India, PATH hired Abt Associates (www.abtassociates.com) to conduct a baseline survey to understand pre-intervention awareness of, use of, and need for household water treatment products and identify opportunities for Aquatabs water-purification tablets (www.aquatabs.com) to penetrate the market in four rural areas (with a total population of 410,000) in the Pratapgarh District of Uttar Pradesh, India.

While most of the 962 respondents were aware of several traditional water treatment options, including the use of a cloth filter, allowing water to settle before using, and boiling water, the study revealed that few actually use these methods on a regular basis.

Nearly a quarter of respondents were aware of two other treatment methods, chlorine and alum, but a negligible number of people had ever used these methods at home.

Figure 1. Household water treatment in rural Uttar Pradesh: knowledge and practices

Based on respondents’ stated perceptions of the need to treat their water and their feelings about different treatment options, two broad market segments emerged: one that believes there is no need for water treatment (66% of market), and one that believes there is a need to treat water and/or already does so (33% of market).

Further inquiry into the perceived importance of various attributes of a “good” water treatment method and respondents’ perceptions of how chlorine affects these attributes suggest three key attributes or perceptions to associate with a product like Aquatabs (in addition to its efficacy in making water safe): good smell and taste, modernity/in-fashion, and affordability.

Respondents were exposed to a concept card describing Aquatabs, including the product price, and asked how likely they were to try the product if it were made available in their area. One-third of all respondents said they definitely wanted to try the product.

The group stating intention to try the product had a positive attitude about treating water, associating water treatment with statements such as: “it will protect the health of my family” (77%), “it will make the water clean” (50%), and “it is affordable” (10%).

Abt will continue to follow the bicycle pilot project, measuring market penetration, attitudes, and product use at six months and again at twelve months. In the end, PATH and partners will have a rich set of data to mine for clues about how a particular water treatment product and distribution method may (or may not) penetrate a new market.

About the Safe Water Project

PATH's Safe Water Project was launched in December 2006 to assess gaps in the household water treatment and safe storage market and to determine how well private-sector companies can successfully and sustainably reach lower-income consumers with effective products for household water treatment and safe storage.

About Abt Associates

Abt Associates, Inc., a private, employee-owned company, applies research and technical assistance expertise to a wide range of social, economic, and policy issues. Abt Associates’ International Health Division works with public- and private-sector partners in more than 45 countries to strengthen health systems, advance health policy, increase private-sector involvement, and improve health services. For more information, please visit Abt Associates' website.

Photo: PATH.