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Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Packaged Sachet Water and Household Stored Drinking Water in Freetown, Sierra Leone

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  • Michael B Fisher
  • Ashley R Williams
  • Mohamed F Jalloh
  • George Saquee
  • Robert E S Bain
  • Jamie K Bartram

Abstract

Packaged drinking water (PW) sold in bottles and plastic bags/sachets is widely consumed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and many urban users in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rely on packaged sachet water (PSW) as their primary source of water for consumption. However, few rigorous studies have investigated PSW quality in SSA, and none have compared PSW to stored household water for consumption (HWC). A clearer understanding of PSW quality in the context of alternative sources is needed to inform policy and regulation. As elsewhere in SSA, PSW is widely consumed in Sierra Leone, but government oversight is nearly nonexistent. This study examined the microbiological and chemical quality of a representative sample of PSW products in Freetown, Sierra Leone at packaged water manufacturing facilities (PWMFs) and at points of sale (POSs). Samples of HWC were also analyzed for comparison. The study did not find evidence of serious chemical contamination among the parameters studied. However, 19% of 45 PSW products sampled at the PWMF contained detectable Escherichia coli (EC), although only two samples exceeded 10 CFU/100 mL. Concentrations of total coliforms (TC) in PSW (but not EC) increased along the supply chain. Samples of HWC from 60 households in Freetown were significantly more likely to contain EC and TC than PSW at the point of production (p

Suggested Citation

  • Michael B Fisher & Ashley R Williams & Mohamed F Jalloh & George Saquee & Robert E S Bain & Jamie K Bartram, 2015. "Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Packaged Sachet Water and Household Stored Drinking Water in Freetown, Sierra Leone," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0131772
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131772
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. E. Ejechi & B. Ejechi, 2008. "Safe drinking water and satisfaction with environmental quality of life in some oil and gas industry impacted cities of Nigeria," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 211-222, January.
    2. Robert Bain & Ryan Cronk & Jim Wright & Hong Yang & Tom Slaymaker & Jamie Bartram, 2014. "Fecal Contamination of Drinking-Water in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Justin Stoler & John R Weeks & Richard Appiah Otoo, 2013. "Drinking Water in Transition: A Multilevel Cross-sectional Analysis of Sachet Water Consumption in Accra," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-11, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Batsirai Majuru & Marc Suhrcke & Paul R. Hunter, 2016. "How Do Households Respond to Unreliable Water Supplies? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Jim Wright & Mawuli Dzodzomenyo & Nicola A. Wardrop & Richard Johnston & Allan Hill & Genevieve Aryeetey & Richard Adanu, 2016. "Effects of Sachet Water Consumption on Exposure to Microbe-Contaminated Drinking Water: Household Survey Evidence from Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Mustafa Sikder & Elena N. Naumova & Anthonia O. Ogudipe & Mateo Gomez & Daniele Lantagne, 2021. "Fecal Indicator Bacteria Data to Characterize Drinking Water Quality in Low-Resource Settings: Summary of Current Practices and Recommendations for Improving Validity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-19, February.

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