ASSESSING WATER QUALITY FOR UNPROTECTED SHALLOW WELLS AT CHISINKHA VILLAGE IN MULANJE DISTRICT.

The provision of safe drinking water is a fundamental right of basic health and an extremely high priority of the Malawi Poverty Strategy. Mulanje is one of the districts in Malawi where limited resources and services are facing relentless pressure due to rapid population growth and water as a resource is of no exception. Sixty seven cases were reported at Mulanje District Hospital in the year of 2020 for the people of Chisinkha Village affected by gastrointestinal diseases. The main objective of the present study was to assess the water quality for unprotected shallow wells in Chisinkha village and compare the water quality parameters result with World Health Organization (WHO) and Malawi Bureau of standards drinking water standards. Water samples were obtained from 5 selected unprotected shallow wells distributed in Chisinkha village. The water quality parameters analyzed were: pH, temperature, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), turbidity, total hardness, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Escherichia Coliform, Faecal Coliform and Total Coliform. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel, Statistic Package for Social Science (SPSS) and a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Water Quality Index (WQI) was used as a tool to communicate information on the quality of water status to the concerned citizens and the public. Water Quality Index for all Shallow unprotected wells indicates that the water quality status for Chisinkha Village was bad and badly affected according to water quality status and E.I.A status. The water quality for unprotected Shallow Well 1 was 41.7, unprotected Shallow Well 2 was 36.76, unprotected Shallow well 3 were 30.56, unprotected Shallow Well 4 was 47.89 and unprotected Shallow Well 5 was 46.1 hence according to Water Quality Status, the quality of Shallow Unprotected Wells of Chisinkha Village was bad and badly affected. The study recommends for interventions in Chisinkha Village that focus on household water treatment like chlorination, provide more safe water facilities supply and emphasis on water education in this study area. The study recommends the citizens to observing the distance between the well and the pit latrines and cattle kraal.

Mulanje is one of the districts in Malawi where limited resources and services are facing relentless pressure due to rapid population growth and water as a resource is of no exception. The main objective of the present study was to assess the water quality for unprotected shallow wells in Chisinkha village and compare the water quality parameters result with World Health Organization (WHO) and Malawi Bureau of standards drinking water standards. The water quality for unprotected Shallow Well 1 was 41.7, unprotected Shallow Well 2 was 36.76, unprotected Shallow well 3 were 30.56, unprotected Shallow Well 4 was 47.89 and unprotected Shallow Well 5 was 46.1 hence according to Water Quality Status, the quality of Shallow Unprotected Wells of Chisinkha Village was bad and badly affected. The study recommends for interventions in Chisinkha Village that focus on household water treatment like chlorination, provide more safe water facilities supply and emphasis on water education in this study area.

No detailed description has been provided for this study area.

Traditional authority: TA Chikumbu

District: Mulanje

Coordinates: -16.0408, 35.41035