Current Situation Analysis of Sanitary Management and Drinking Water Safety in Rural Schools of Jiangxi Province

Objectives To understand the status of drinking water safety and sanitary management in rural schools in Jiangxi province and evaluate the sanitary safety status of drinking water.

Methods 28 counties, 140 towns, and 278 schools in Jiangxi were selected using stratified random sampling method. Information and data was collected through interviews and field sanitary survey with uniform questionnaires. Water quality examinations was done in 226 schools in 76 counties.

Results School health personnel ratio and health records rate were as low as 5.40% and 17.63%, respectively. The main water supply type of the school was the village water plant, accounted for 43.17%; the proportion of schools which students mainly bringing water by themselves was the highest, accounted for 39.57%. The proportion of direct drinking of tap water was 3.60%. The proportion of boarding schools providing boiled water was lower, accounted for 40.33%; in school water supplies, 37.56% were untreated, and 57.47% were not disinfected. The qualified rate of drinking water was 42.48%. The qualified rate of drinking water after eliminating microbial pollution was 81.19%.

Conclusions The measures of sanitary management was inadequate in rural schools. Unsafe drinking water supply type existed among students. The qualified rate of drinking water supplies in rural schools was low. There were certain health risks in students drinking water safety.