Water and Sanitation Group Reflection

The three students that created this post comprise the Water and Sanitation group and are Wesley and Brittany, who study at Johns Hopkins University and Norman, from the Makerere University School of Public Health.

After a week of cold-water bucket baths, squatting over latrines, and hiking to retrieve water, a warm shower is no longer something to be taken for granted. For the three week period of our independent study in Uganda, our group has chosen a focus on the Water and Sanitation subtopics of clean water, waste water, and solid waste during our experiences in Kampala, Rakai, and Lake Mburo.

What We Found Surprising

An interesting topic arose during the homestay in Rakai, regarding access to clean water. One of the homestay families owned a Biological Sanitation Tank (Biosan). Forty of these tanks had been donated by the Rotary Club to institutions and homes in the Kalisizo area. These systems work by using sand to filter contained water as well as a biofilm to destroy other environmental contaminants. Initially we perceived this to be a brilliant public health initiative. However, upon questioning a health inspector about the project, he was not convinced that this technology has been very effective. He brought up many different problems that come with the tanks including their requirement of a great deal of upkeep and understanding of function. When residents do not know how to properly use the tanks, mold growth can become dangerous to health. The inspector was insistent that encouraging the consistent use of the widely-understood practice of boiling water was the safest and most effective method for assuring safe water within the broader population.

In spite of the awareness of safe waste water and hygiene practices in many communities, there have been behavioral limitations. An example: despite the prevalence of many latrine facilities in different communities, open defecation is still frequently practiced, often near usable facilities and community water sources. Although many accessible technological solutions exist, the most basic preventive hygiene practice, washing hands, before the preparation of food and communication with other individuals following the use of latrine facilities, is still insufficiently practiced, contributing to many preventable illnesses.

Solid waste is consumer waste (garbage that does not include waste water or fecal matter). Within many communities there is a challenge surrounding solid waste infrastructure regarding accessibility, convenience, and effectiveness. The inspector familiarized us to one of the many methods citizens follow to rid their homes of solid waste: local dumping sites. It was very interesting to learn about the actual compliance with the trash collection services, and how this can significantly impact the daily structure of the sanitation system. The widespread prevalence of trash burning amongst institutions and families is an emphasis of the inadequacies of the governmentally-sanctioned local sanitation system. This independent practice has great potential to have negative effects on air quality due to the release of particulate matter, impacting the health of people in local communities.

The Protected Spring Project in the Rakai Community

Rakai’s residents expressed the desire for the Hopkins-Makerere Program to help protect a spring that many rely on for water. A protected spring greatly improves the quality of water that members of the community receive as it reduces the contamination of water sources from environmental pollutants.  Many of the families in the area are forced to walk over two kilometers in order to reach a safe water source. The protection of this spring has enabled greater accessibility of safer water to the local community, reducing the distance that families have to travel to access protected water sources. Our participation in this project was primarily to purchase and transport materials, supporting the work of the engineers and community members who actually completed the construction of the protected spring. Although there were individuals who could complete the task, they lacked the human-power to move the many rocks and bricks that were going to be used. Our twenty-four person team was able to move these materials down the steep slope leading to the well in three hours, greatly assisting in the process of completing the project.

Reflection of Our Progress

Since the beginning of this experience, we have realized that our assessment of water and sanitation does not simply have to be limited to discrepancies amongst rural and urban areas. The disparities that exist are even prominent within individual communities. This realization has been prominent through our visitation of different communities in Uganda, witnessing the resources that are accessible to residents of different socioeconomic groups and nearby institutions. Our visitation of the Health and Sanitation Inspection Office of the Kalisizo Town Council helped us identify that there are many simple solutions to improving water and sanitation that have been frequently underutilized. Boiling water, washing hands, frequent bathing, and proper use of latrines remain effective hygiene practices that protect the health of families. The widespread use of rainfall water tanks amongst private and public institutions also supports that the modernization of traditional methods can have an important impact on improving access to safe water. As we continue to gather information before the completion of our presentation, we have an interest in continuing to explore economic disparities that exist within the Kampala community. Rather than trying to immediately define the theme of the project before our research is complete, we have realized that information can be gathered through every experience and will use this principle to guide us during the rest of our study.