Water and Health

• Burlington, VT

• Kamuli, Uganda

Edmunds Middle School

Kamuli School

Today’s Theme

Luganda: Amazzi bwe bulamu, amazzi bwe okufaSwahili: Maji ni maisha, Maji ni kifoEnglish: Water is life, Water is death

1. How much we use water in Burlington

2. Water related diseases

3. How much water they use in Kamuli

4. What can we do to make things better for people in Kamuli?

Class Outline

http://www.wateraid.org/international/learn_zone/primary/healthy_living/6687.asp

How much water (or milk or juice) should you drink every day?

In the last 24 hours did you…….

a) Drink a glass of water?b) Take a shower or a bath?c) Use soap and/or shampoo? d) Put on clean clothes?e) Brush your teeth?f) Go to the toilet and flush it?g) Wash your hands after going to the toilet?h) Wash your hands before eating dinner?i) Wash dirty dishes in the sink or put them in the dishwasher?j) Wipe down the kitchen counter?

So how much water did you use in 24 hours?

So how much water do I use?

• I get a water bill every 90 days• 350 cubic feet in 50 days• 10 cubic meters in 50 days• 10,000 liters in 50 days• 200 liters/day• It costs me $0.45 per day for water• It costs me $0.55 per day for sewerage

• Average for the US is 350 liters/day

Water and Disease (1)

• Water Borne Diseases– Things that cause diarrhea (cholera, typhoid, E.coli)– Hepatitis (liver) and Polio (muscles)– Worms

• Prevention– Boil Water– Add Chlorine– Filter Water

Water and Disease (2)

• Water Washed Diseases– Skin Diseases and Infections– Eye Infections that can cause blindness

• Prevention– Wash hands, wash faces– Bathe regularly– Put on clean clothes

Water and Disease (3)

• Water Contact Diseases– Worms– Parasites

• Prevention– Don’t bathe in water where there are worms and

parasites (don’t worry, Lake Champlain is safe to bathe in!)

Water and Disease (4)

• Water Related Diseases– Malaria (mosquitoes)– River Blindness (special biting flies)– Hookworm (worms)

• Prevention– Drainage to avoid stagnant water where flies and

mosquitoes breed– Wear shoes

Typical Water Supply in Kamuli

• Rural– ponds and rivers– open wells

• Village– boreholes with handpumps– boreholes with standpipes

• Town– Treated water in pipes to each house

Open well

60m (200 ft) deep

Hand pump

And now you have to carry it home…….

Waiting for water

Water Sellers

Community waterpoint

Clean, tidy, well maintained(ARD built this one!) Stagnant water:

(mosquitoes, flies, hookworm)

Metered household

supply:

Kamuli

Water Use in Kamuli(l/day/person)

Open Well >1.5 km from home

15 l/day (1 bucket)

Borehole <1.5 km

40-60 l/day (2-3 buckets)

Piped water

80-100 l/day (4-5 buckets)

Water Supplies: Burlington and Uganda

Sanitation: Burlington and Uganda

Improve Physical Facilities• Upgrade Water

– Open wells and ponds

– Protected wells

– Boreholes

– Piped Water Supply

• Upgrade Sanitation

– Open defecation

– Communal latrines

– Household latrines

– Flush toilets

Change Behavior• Water

– keep the water source clean and tidy

– plan for repairs

– pay for water

– water committees

– reduce consumption and save energy

• Sanitation

– no open defecation

– wash hands with soap after using toilet, before handling food, etc

– wash clothes

– no stagnant water around houses and compounds

Further Information

World Water Day (March 22) www.worldwaterday.org/

World Handwashing Day (October 15) www.globalhandwashingday.org/

World Toilet Day (November 19) www.worldtoilet.org/

UNICEF www.unicef.org

WaterAid America www.wateraidamerica.org

52Kids www.52kids.org