Proposal of proper technologies for purification of domestic and drinking water from river Sanaga for Yaounde city, Cameroon.

BSc. George Besong Beteck

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The recurrent cholera epidemic situation in most urban and rural areas of Cameroon is due to high load of Coliform bacteria in drinking water. This is because the sanitary situation of the country is very poor and there are very limited improved water supply systems in the country. About 30 % of the total population of Cameroon acquire drinking water direct from open sources like rivers, lakes, streams, rain, and unprotected wells. These open water sources are very susceptible to the poor sanitary conditions of their immediate environment. To prevent cholera and other related water borne diseases, Various household water purification technologies were adopted. The type of technology used depends on the income level of the individual household. The aim of this thesis is to review the local household water purification technologies used in Yaounde and to propose a sustainable purification technique for low-income earners particularly in Nang-Eboko Community. In Cameroon about 30 % of the population live below the poverty line of less than $ 1.5 a day. This category of people cannot afford a good quality filter for household water purification technology. Majority of this population used various local techniques including cotton filter, Boiling and chlorine Tablets to purify drinking water. The efficiency of this Cotton filter in purifying raw river water used for drinking was investigated alongside chlorine tablets. A cotton filter with a filtration rate of 3 l/h, was evaluated to have an efficiency in removing total coliform, turbidity, and TDS at 90 %, 97 % and 92 % respectively. While that of chlorine tablets in eliminating coliform was 98.57 % in raw river water and 100 % in filtrated river water. Chlorine tablets was 100 % effective in filtrated water because the turbidity and TDS has been reduced by filtration. Since WHO recommended zero total coliform unit per 100ml in drinking water, cotton filters will not be a perfect household water purification technology to prevent cholera in Nanga-Eboko. Boiling the water before filtration or using chlorine tablet after filtration will prevent cholera among low-income earner in the community.

Keywords

Cholera Epidemic, Diseases, Hygiene and Sanitation, Efficiency, Filtration

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 20. 8. 2023

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: doc. Ing. Vladimír Krepl, CSc.
• Oponent: Jan Vymazal, CSc.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Agri-food Systems and Rural Development