ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, DEMAND AND SANITATION CONDITION IN RURAL AREAS OF SHEBEDINO WOREDA SIDAMA ZONE, SNNPR

Abstract

Water is a natural resource of fundamental importance. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries with problems of water supply and sanitation. This study was conducted in Shebedino Woreda, Sidama Zone, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples State. The aims of this study was to assess the quality, accessibility of drinking water supply and sanitary condition and forecast the future demand by 2026. For this study 4 rural Kebeles and 11 Water points were selected by using systematic sampling method. For household survey, 120 respondents were selected from which 70 were male house headed and 50 were women who were primary responsible in fetching water. Questionnaires were used to assess sanitary and access of drinking water to the community and personal observation was used to identify a water point and to assess sanitary condition of the water source. Also Key informant’ interviews were carried out to collect background information on hygienic behavior, accessibility of water supply and causes of water associated communicable diseases. Totally 33 samples (3 samples from each water point) were collected and tested in the laboratory to assess physico chemical and bacteriological quality of the drinking water. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the result presented in frequencies, mean, standard deviation and percentages. The physico chemical and bacteriological parameters were analyzed using ANOVAs and the result was presented using tables and graphs. Based on the findings, the major problems regarding drinking water and sanitation were: low coverage (30.50%),low quantity (7.1 liters of average per capita consumption and also more than 96.67% of the people take less than 20 liters of potable water), and long water fetching time (in average 47 minutes). Likewise, sanitation situation was not so healthy and encouraging. Many factors were responsible for poor sanitation. Some of them were lack of proper disposal of garbage and toilet waste and lack of knowledge of rural people about personal hygiene and health. The survey result showed that about 51.5% of the households were disposing baby faeces and solid wastes in the open field, majorities of them (70.36%) who constructed a latrine used it now and then and also more than 50% of respondents in the study area don't use water at all for hand washing after defecating. Physicochemical quality test showed that the concentration of Turbidity is very high in Sedeka Kebele at Lamala and Shemeta sites, in Howolso Kebele at Kitawo site and in Gonowagabalo Kebele at Burama and Handisa sites. Level of Manganese also higher in Remeda Kebele at Tado site, which is much greater than WHO guideline values and not suitable for drinking purpose. According to the result of Bacteriological quality test water supply in the studied area had mean number of total coliform and fecal coliform is 8.37and 4.87respectively,which is much greater than WHO guideline values and not suitable for drinking purpose. Therefore, the major copping strategies for the challenges are water points should be protected and water disinfection techniques should be used, evaluating the existing performance, adjusting periodically revised population growth, preventive and regular maintenance program, focusing on the construction of communal latrines and integrating water supply and sanitation sectors