Water Quality of the Rural Drinking Water Safety Project in Aba Prefecture in 2009－2011

Objectives To find out the quality and hygienic status of water in the Rural Drinking Water Safety Project in Aba Prefecture, and provide scientific basis for the government to formulate health policy.

Methods The quality of treated water and peripheral water collected from 63 monitoring points in seven counties of Aba Prefecture in dry season and wet period in 2009 – 2011 was inspected.

Results A total of 252 water samples were monitored and inspected in these three years. The total pass rate was 34.92%; the pass rates in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 were 26.67%, 58. 33% and 28.03%, respectively (χ²=19.52, P < 0.01), and those in the dry season and wet period were 57.94% and 11.90%, respectively (χ²=58.20, P < 0.01). Among the water quality indexes detected, the total coli forms, heat-resistant coli forms, visible matters, the total number of colonies exceeded the standard limits. The water sources of 63 monitoring sites were mainly surface water from streams (82.53%), and the water was treated mainly by precipitation and filtration (96.83%).

Conclusions The qualified rate of rural centralized water supply in Aba Prefecture was low; microbial contamination was one of the most important reasons, and the imperfect water engineering and treatment facilities and no disinfection measures were also problems. Accelerating the Rural Drinking Safety Projects, improving the construction and water treatment technology, strengthening hygienic supervision and monitoring and water disinfection to protect rural drinking water safety are necessary.