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How can the safety of drinking-water be monitored globally? What definitions would be meaningful and assist decision-makers in the process of improving the drinking-water situation in the world? What research and development efforts are needed to come up with a rapid, reliable and cost-effective way of measuring water quality indicators locally and reporting on them at the global level. Since the decision in 2000 to adopt a method based on nationally representative household surveys, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) has explored options to report on the safety of drinking-water supplies. In this connection, between 2002 and 2008 the rapid assessment of drinking-water quality (RADWQ) project was designed, implemented and documented in a number of pilot countries where the quality of drinking-water from improved sources was evaluated. [authors abstract of the project]

TitleRapid assessment of drinkingwater quality in the federal republic of Nigeria : country report of the pilot project implementation in 2004-2005
Publication TypeBook
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsInce, M, Bashir, D, Oni, OOO, Awe, EO, Ogbechie, V, Korve, K, Adeyinka, MA, Olufolabo, AA, Ofordu, F, Kehinde, M
Paginationxiii, 78 p.; 16 fig.; 35 tab.
Date Published2010-01-01
PublisherWorld Health Organization (WHO)
Place PublishedGeneva, Switzerland
ISSN Number9789241500609
Keywordsdrinking water, nigeria, statistics, water quality, who/unicef joint monitoring programme
Abstract

Between 2004 and 2005 six countries, including Nigeria, participated in a World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund (WHO/UNICEF) pilot project aimed at testing a rapid, low-cost method for assessing drinking-water quality in the field. The method, the Rapid Assessment of Drinking-Water Quality (RADWQ), was based on the UNICEF Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys, and was developed as a tool for the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) to monitor global access to safe drinking-water. The method uses a cluster sampling approach to select individual drinking-water sources across an entire country, which are then tested for relevant water quality parameters. The number and types of parameters tested depend on the extent of the survey and on local conditions. For Nigeria, the RADWQ Level
parameters included in the assessment are described in the RADWQ handbook for implementation. The parameters included appearance, thermotolerant coliform levels, faecal streptococci levels, pH, conductivity, turbidity, and levels of arsenic, fluoride, nitrate and iron. Sanitary inspections were also carried out at the water sources visited by the field teams. The output of the RADWQ survey was the drinking-water quality for each category of improved water source tested.[authors abstract]

NotesWith 15 references
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