Health and water quality monitoring of Pure Home Water's ceramic filter dissemination in the northern region of Ghana

摘要

Pure Home Water (PHW) is a social enterprise that promotes and disseminates household drinking water technologies in the Northern Region of Ghana. Currently their main product is a pot-shaped Potters for Peace-type ceramic water filter, locally known as the Kosim filter. This study used household surveys and water quality testing to monitor the success of their filter program. This work builds upon the household surveys and water quality testing done by Rachel Peletz of predominately modem middle class PHW customers in January 2006 by gathering data that is newly available now that PHW has filter users in traditional communities. Thirty-five households from traditional communities and six households from modem communities were surveyed. For the water quality tests, a drinking water sample was collected from households without a filter, and unfiltered and filtered water samples were collected from households with a filter. These samples were tested for turbidity and for bacterial contamination using membrane filtration, 3MTM PetrifilmTM, and hydrogen sulfide techniques. The surveys determined that PHW is reaching poor communities: 0% of traditional filter users have access to improved water or sanitation, and monthly expenses averaged US $6.30 (GHC 57,000) per person per month.