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.
- CDC. Bibliography on Point-of-Use Water Disinfection pdf icon[PDF – 25 pages]external icon
- EPA. Point-of-Use or Point-of-Entry Treatment Options for Small Drinking Water Systems pdf icon[PDF – 132 pages]external icon
- World Health Organization. Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage external icon
- CDC. Safe Water for the Community: A Guide for Establishing a Community-Based Safe Water System Program pdf icon[PDF – 62 pages]external icon
- World Health Organization and UNICEF. Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000-2020: Five Years Into the SDGsexternal icon. 2021.