Safe Water System
Open-knowledge reference entry
The Safe Water System (SWS) is a series of inexpensive technologies that can be applied as water quality interventions in developing countries. It was developed in conjunction by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pan American Health Organization. As of 2014, SWS had been implemented in thirty-five countries.
Background
As of 2012, 780 million people lack access to an improved water source and 2.5 billion people (half of all people in developing countries) lack access to adequate sanitation. Inadequate water sanitation is a public health hazard, as it is a major source of diarrheal illnesses such as cholera. Diarrheal illnesses are a significant source of mortality for children, killing more children than the combined mortality of measles, malaria, and AIDS. For children under five, diarrheal disease is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.
History and methods
In 1992, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization collaborated to reduce waterborne diseases in developing countries. They called the new methodology the Safe Water System (SWS); it consisted of three components:
Water treatment at point of use with a locally made diluted bleach solution
Preventing recontamination of water by safely storing treated water in containers with narrow mouths, lids, and spigots
Education to improve the handling and sanitation of food and water
From 1994 to 1995, the CDC implemented the SWS in Bolivia in a pilot experiment, where it improved water quality and reduced diarrheal illness by 40%. Following the success of the program in Bolivia, the CDC received permission from the Zambian Ministry of Health to conduct field trials in 1998 in Kitwe, Zambia. Compared to the control group, the households that received the SWS and education on best hygiene practices experienced a 48% reduced risk of diarrheal disease.
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