A pilot community water safety plan in Nepal for point sources with household water treatment

Andrew McMillan

doi:10.3362/1756-3488.2011.022

A pilot community water safety plan in Nepal for point sources with household water treatment

A pilot water safety plan (WSP) was developed for a rural terai (plain) community of Chitwan District, Nepal, where drinking water is from point sources (hand-dug wells or bore wells). Many families also use a household biosand filter. The WSP was developed through a partnership between Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH) and Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB). The pilot aimed to identify WSP methods acceptable to the community and local NGOs. It included hazard assessments, improvement plans and monitoring plans to be implemented by the village water committee with local level capacity building. WSP tools piloted included community hazard mapping around wells and a household WSP checklist to monitor control measures. The WSP approach was designed for ongoing community implementation and management, and will be utilized in future water supply projects by the NGO, NEWAH.

CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) (2009) Report on the Nepal Labour Force Survey, Central Bureau of Statistics, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Government of Nepal.

EWB (Engineers Without Borders) (2011) ‘Water Safety Plan Report: Ayodhyapuri (Village Development Committee Area - Wards 4, 5, 6) - a ‘pilot’ Water Safety Plan for point sources (hand-dug & bore wells) with household water treatment (biosand filters)’, posted by Andrew McMillan, www.ewb.org.au/explore/initiatives/watersafetyplanningproject www.ewb.org.au/explore/initiatives/watersafetyplanningproject

Mahmud, S.G., Abu Jafar Shamsuddin, Sk., Feroze Ahmed, M., Davison, A., Deere, D. and Howard, G. (2007) ‘Development and implementation of water safety plans for small water supplies in Bangladesh: Benefits and lessons learned’, Journal of Water and Health 5: 585-97.

Mudaliar, M.M., Bergin, C. and MacLeod, K. (2008) Drinking Water Safety Planning: A Practical Guide for Pacific Island Communities [online], World Health Organization and Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission, Suva, Fiji, available from: http://www.pacificwater.org/pages.cfm/resource-center/sopacwater-publications http://www.pacificwater.org/pages.cfm/resource-center/sopacwater-publications

NEWAH (Nepal Water for Health) (2006) Long Term Sustainability Study (LTSS) Findings of 298 NEWAH supported WATSAN projects implemented before 1998, NEWAH Information and Knowledge Unit, Kathmandu.

WHO (World Health Organization) (2005) ‘Water Safety Plans: Managing drinking-water from catchment to consumer’ [online], Water Sanitation and Health, available from: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/wsp0506/en/index.html [accessed 19 May 2011]. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/wsp0506/en/index.html

WHO (2010) ‘World Health Statistics 2010’ [online], available from: http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2010/en/ [accessed 19 May 2011]. http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2010/en/

WHO/IWA (International Water Association) (2009) ‘Water Safety Plan Manual: Step-by-step risk management for drinking-water suppliers’ [online], Water Sanitation and Health, available from: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publication_9789241562638/en/ [accessed 19 May 2011]. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publication_9789241562638/en/