GHNI Trains Villagers in Multiple Countries to Conduct Their Own Water Quality Testing with Aqugenx Test Kits
Global Hope Network International’s mission is to being health and hope to the most vulnerable people and least-reached places that are often overlooked by the rest of the world. They empower village communities to become self-sustainable and help them to move toward an independent future free from the perpetual cycle of poverty. https://globalhopenetwork.org/
Myanmar
The Khar Nan Thit community has a protected groundwater source that provides enough water the entire community can access within five minutes. However, the water had never been tested for quality. Instead, health workers provided chlorine tablets to disinfect the water. Despite this government intervention, villagers suffered from diarrhea, kidney problems, stomach aches and headaches. They believed the cause was unsafe drinking water, and to support this theory, they needed a simple way to test their groundwater for E. coli bacteria in this rural village.
The community organized a water committee to identify the problem and search for water quality testing resources and solutions. Water committee leadership selected the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC Most Probable Number (MPN) Kit for water quality testing. The committee was trained on how to use the test kit and conducted water quality testing themselves. Test results demonstrated their groundwater was contaminated with E. coli at unsafe levels.
MPN test results with the Aquagenx test kits provided the data the water committee needed to make the best decisions for remediation of their water sources and how to maintain safe water. The public health outcomes for the village included better health education, boiling water before drinking, adoption of a bio-sand water filtration system, and improved sanitation.
Thailand
Ratchaboot Village’s drinking water comes from a spring up a mountain that is partially protected, but it is exposed to the natural environment in two places. TCD suspected the water was heavily contaminated with E. coli and possibly making villagers ill. They trained villagers on how to test their own water using the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC MPN Kit.
After testing with the Aquagenx test kit, villagers presented their findings to the water committee and the village community. They found their water is contaminated with E. coli, and they discussed remediation methods to ensure safe drinking water such as boiling water before drinking and using water filters.
Rathchaboot villagers found the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC MPN Kit water quality test kit is a simple method the community can do themselves while using the resources available in the community.
India
A community in India thought their drinking water was safe because it came from a well. However, it is an unprotected, open well. TCD trained community members to use the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC MPN to test their well water for E. coli. This led to the discovery that their well was contaminated and unsafe to drink. The community implemented plans to protect their well to avoid contamination so the community has safe drinking water.
GHNI tested the water in all their TCD villages in India, including Binodpur, Baromasia, SriAmara, Baribeda, and Tea Garden Cluster. Before using the CBT EC+TC MPN Kit to test unprotected well water, villagers in Mech Basti Village under the Tea Garden Cluster thought that water is clean unless it looks grey or dirty. They had no idea that if well water simply looks clean it can still be unsafe for consumption. After water quality testing with the Aquagenx test kit, the village water committee now knows their water was contaminated with E. coli.
As a result, the village planned to either install a central water filter or teach villagers to how make low-cost bio filters, so their well water is safe to drink. Their definition of clean water has also changed, and most families have now started boiling water for consumption.
Burkina Faso
In Koubah Bingo Village, water quality testing with the CBT EC+TC MPN Kit was conducted on the community’s borehole water. The results came back as positive for E. coli, indicating the presence of harmful bacteria and contamination.
During assessment of the water source, it was observed that the borehole is positioned in a sloping area, while toilets and the graveyard are located uphill from the borehole. Because of this, waste and decaying materials from those sites are likely flowing downhill and entering the soil and contaminating the groundwater that feeds the borehole.
The positive Aquagenx test results confirm the water is not safe for drinking without proper treatment. The community was educated on the risks and advised to avoid drinking the water without boiling or chlorinating it, improve sanitation around the water source, and to consider relocating the borehole or improving protection around it.
Nigeria
After conducting water quality testing with the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC MPN Kit in the Kotonkoro community, specifically in the Kwanan Sidi area, it was discovered that the water is not safe for human consumption. The results of the test showed that the water is of poor quality.
Due to the unsafe nature of the water, many people in the community are experiencing water-borne diseases, especially diarrhea. This situation indicates that the water source is contaminated and poses a serious health risk to residents.
The lack of clean and safe drinking water in the Kwanan Sidi area has become a major concern. If urgent action is not taken, the spread of diseases may increase, particularly among children and elderly people.