Biological and physical characteristics of drinking water from wells in Kamdini Parish, northern Uganda

"Access to clean and safe drinking water is a matter of life and death in rural Uganda. Many villagers do not have access to this basic resource and are forced to consume water unfit for human consumption. As a result, many suffer from serious health problems, including water-borne diseases. The provision of clean and safe drinking water in rural Uganda is part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and also Uganda’s Water Management Policy. In this context, this study examines the biological, and physical characteristics of drinking water collected from open, shallow areas (i.e., open wells) and that from drilled underground wells installed by a non-governmental organization, NUDF (Northern Uganda Development Foundation). Water collection was conducted in 2008 from Kamdini Parish, Oyam District. Three NUDF wells were randomly selected for sampling as were three random open surface sources that villages have been using (or currently use) as drinking water in the same parish. Field sampling and laboratory analyses were performed according to well established protocols. In general, water samples collected from the NUDF wells had good bacteriological and satisfactory physical characteristics commensurate with Uganda potable water standards, and hence may be used for domestic consumption. The open (old) surface wells on the other hand, showed less satisfactory characteristics and therefore, require water treatment (e.g. settlement or simple filtration and disinfection) prior to direct domestic consumption."