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Colby College

Publication Date

Spring 2013

Program Name

Tanzania: Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

Abstract

Access to an improved source of drinking water is becoming increasingly difficult in Tanzania. The Safe Water Project, run through Public Health Lab Ivo de Carneri (PHL-IdC) in Chake-Chake, Pemba, is a water quality analysis and infrastructure project on Pemba island, Tanzania that aims to improve water quality and access through three distinct project phasesinitial assessment and planning, reworking of network infrastructure, and the ongoing sampling for biological and chemical indicators of water quality. This report deals exclusively with the microbial aspect of the third phase of the project, the ongoing sampling and analysis of primary and secondary water resources of twelve sites (Kwa Pweza, Kwa Sharifuali, Madungu, Kironjo, Sizini, Tumbe, Ole, Kojani, Kiungoni, Michenzani, Mtambile, Muambe) in four districts (Chake- Chake, Micheweni, Wete, and Mkoani) on Pemba Island. It was found that, although Total Bacteria Change (TBC) from the previous sampling indicated an improvement in water quality in most of the primary and secondary water sources, the great majority of sites sampled (eight of the twelve primary and five of the seven secondary) had Enterococcus, faecal coliform or E.coli contamination above the World Health Organization’s acceptable values, deeming these sources ! ! #! unsafe for human consumption in their current state. These findings indicate the potential for severe human health impacts if no intervention is made.

Disciplines

Natural Resources Management and Policy | Sustainability | Water Resource Management

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