How do I know the village water needs to be treated before drinking?
A. There are 2 issues really. One is the actual water quality and the second is the perceived risk of drinking untreated water. An example may help. In one highly developed country, the municipal water is treated with chlorine and monitored constantly. Still, many highly educated residents still insist on using a series of additional treatments (including ceramic filters, UV treatment and boiling) often in combination to satisfy themselves that the water will be safe. So, when you consider a suitable population: 1. If they dont presently boil their water and you suspect that high incidences of disease are a result of infected water, you may want to conduct water tests to prove this connection to the villagers. Test the water for the presence of coliforms and e-coli and possibly other minerals and metals. Kits are available from Lifewater. Idexx and 3M produce field test kits for the presence of e-coli / coliform. 2. If the people already boil their water, you can simply give them an ea
