Household Water Treatment

In many parts of the world, communities lack the capacity to develop community water systems. In 2010, the United Nations recognized access to water and sanitation as a human rightexternal icon. Today, approximately 884 million people do not have access to safe water to drink.¹ Household water treatment (treatment that happens at the point of water collection or use, rather than at a large, centralized location) improves water quality and reduces diarrheal disease.

Five methods are widely used for household water treatment:

• Chlorination
• Flocculant / Disinfectant Powder
• Solar Disinfection
• Ceramic Filtration
• Slow Sand Filtration

Selecting the most appropriate treatment method for a household or community’s specific circumstances is often a complex decision. The most appropriate option for a household or community depends on existing water and sanitation conditions, water quality, cultural acceptability, implementation feasibility, supply chains, availability of technology, and other local conditions.