The status of sanitation and water safety in selected sub-counties of Luuka District, Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Sanitation and safe drinking water are key drivers in a society’s socio-economic transformation pathways, thus necessitating a clear understanding of their status, for sustainable human health and survival. Poor household sanitation and unsafe drinking water sources are major transmitters of bacterial pathogens to humans.

The study was designed to investigate the status of sanitation and water safety in selected sub-counties of Luuka district, Eastern Uganda. Random sampling technique was used and a survey questionnaire was administered, supported by key informant interviews and focused group discussions, to collect information concerning household sanitation status. Stratified random sampling guided the collection of water samples, standard methods were used in the enumeration of faecal coliforms in the laboratory, while the physical parameters were measured in-situ.

From the study, majority (55.8%) of the households in the rural communities of Bulongo and Bukooma sub counties of Luuka district had poor sanitation, and open defecation was still being practiced at 44.5% in Bukoma sub county, and 14.5% in Bulongo sub county. It was found that household handwashing facilities reduces the risk associated with poor sanitation, by approximately 65%, while on the other hand, open dumping of solid wastes open defecation increases the risk of poor sanitation. The physicochemical quality of all drinking water sources in Bulongo and Bukooma sub-county met the Uganda national standards for potable water. In comparison with the WHO guidelines for drinking water, in Bulongo sub-county, water sources that exceeded thresholds for dissolved oxygen and turbidity were 75% and 11.4% respectively; while in Bukooma sub-county, water sources that exceeded the thresholds for dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and turbidity, they were 44.7%, 26.3% and 21.1% respectively.

Based on the samples tested and outcomes compared with national standards and WHO guidelines for drinking water, water sources that exceeded thresholds for total coliform, E.coli and Salmonella spp in Bulongo sub-county were 52.3%, 31.8% and 25% respectively; while in Bukooma sub-county they were 63.2%, 36.8% and 18.4% respectively, thus unfit for human consumption.

In order to improve the sanitation status of households, and attain an open defecation free community, upscale sensitization campaigns and trainings on water safety, sanitation and hygiene best practices at household level, and home-based-water treatment methods should be promoted. Also, the provision of safer drinking water supply schemes, and efficient water source technology installation guidelines are urgently needed to improve on microbial safety of all water sources. Therefore, in future a study should be conducted to identify the possible point sources of contaminations to the drinking water sources.