Modern engineering interventions to reduce the transmission of diseases caused by inadequate domestic water supplies and sanitation in developing countries

Abstract

Inadequate water supplies and inadequate sanitation are responsible for a large proportion of disease transmission in rural and periurban areas in developing countries. Engineering interventions for water supply and sanitation improvements in rural areas are well understood, but not to the same extent in periurban areas. Greater innovation is required to provide poor and very poor periurban households with adequate and affordable water supplies and sanitation. Periurban water supplies can be developed on the large scale required through standpipe co-operatives and yard-tap supplies in conjunction with a sensible tariff structure. Periurban sanitation is only likely to be feasible with the large-scale adoption of simplified (condominial) sewerage in conjunction with innovative sanitation service delivery mechanisms.