Point of use water treatment technique: lessons from World Vision's drought response project in Taita Taveta, Kenya

Point of use (POU) water treatment technique is increasingly gaining popularity, particularly in rural areas and in emergency response settings in developing countries. Dire consequences related to water borne diseases heavily manifest when proper preventive measures are ignored. In contexts and situations where local communities use highly turbid and faecal matter contaminated surface waters, specific POU techniques become applicable. In its quest to enhance access to clean and safe water for communities, World Vision-Mwatate program supplied 4670 household beneficiaries with P&G water purifiers for water treatment towards a drought response project. P&G water purifiers incorporate both flocculation and disinfection mechanisms. Moreover, in the course of implementing the project, interesting indigenous methods of clearing water off turbidity were identified. However, clear water does not necessarily mean it is safe for consumption, thus triggering some research studies which are currently underway.