The Water Project Deploys CBT EC+TC MPN Kit
in Sierra Leone for Routine Water Quality Testing
The Water Project provides reliable water sources to communities in sub-Saharan Africa who suffer needlessly from a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation. Since 2006, they have helped communities gain access to clean, safe water by providing training, expertise, monitoring resources, and financial support to expand access and ensure reliability in coordination with local teams. https://thewaterproject.org/
Problem
The Water Project installs water sources in Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone to provide safe, reliable drinking water for those who suffer without them. They conduct routine water quality tests to monitor water sources and keep them safe and reliable. “Intermittent electricity access was a massive challenge to setting up a regional water quality laboratory,” said Harnoor Kaur, The Water Project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Resolution & Learning Associate. “Therefore, we had to look for alternative testing methods that would provide us with reliable and quick results.”
Solution
In Sierra Leone, The Water Project decided to use the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC MPN Kit for microbiological testing because it does not require consistent electricity or expensive lab equipment. They supplemented CBT EC+TC Kits by using portable incubators when needed to overcome cooler ambient temperatures. The Water Project worked with their partner Mariatu’s Hope in the Sierra Leone project. Water sample analysis of E. coli bacteria using CBT Kits was done for each water point, once in the rainy season and once in the dry season. All of The Water Project’s water quality testing across programs is conducted in combination with sanitary inspections to identify areas of possible contamination and improvement for each water point.
Test Results
At times, The Water Project finds E. coli in water samples due to environmental factors and water user practices. When this happens, The Water Project has procedures for addressing the water quality issues through chlorine treatment, filtration, or recommendations to boil, depending on the water point type. If the best response is chlorination, they return to re-test the water. The test results verify whether the water point is providing safe water or whether further mitigation measures and communication with the water users are necessary.
Conclusion
Jamie Heminway, Copywriter at The Water Project says, “The most obvious benefit for us in using the CBT EC+TC MPN Kit is its ease of use in the field, and its simplicity for staff training purposes. We currently use Aquagenx test kits on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so!”
