ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH
Dr. ESRA ABDEEN
MBBS , MSc of Global Health, Senior Registrar Community Medicine SMSB , CPHQ
WATER
SUPPLY
Dr. ESRA ABDEEN
Safe drinking water, sanitation and
good hygiene are fundamental to
health, survival, growth and
development.
Water and
sanitation, WHO 2006
USES OF WATER
Domestic purposes; drinking, cooking, washing, bathing & flushing.
Public purposes; cleaning streets, fire protection, public parks
Industrial purposes; processing, cooling
Agricultural purposes; irrigation
Power production; steam power & hydropower
SAFE & WHOLESOME WATER
1- Free from pathogenic agents
2- Free from harmful chemical substances
3- Pleasant to the taste
4- Usable for domestic purposes
Water required for a state of positive health and
wellbeing should be :-
- easily accessible
- adequate in quantity
- free from contamination
- Safely & readily available throughout the year
SOURCES OF WATER
SUPPLY
Water is divided into three categories according to source:-
1. RAIN WATER
2. SURFACE WATER
A.impounding reservoirs
B.Rivers and streams
C.Tanks,ponds and lakes
3.GROUND WATER
A.shallow wells
B.deep wells
C.Springs
RAIN WATER
• The prime source of all water
• purest water in nature
• picks up impurities as it passes through the atmosphere such as a
dust,microorganisms and gases.
SURFACE WATER
• It is water drawn from streams, rivers, lakes and pools
• Is exposed to all kinds of contamination
• Should be treated before use for domestic purposes
impounding reservoirs
• Artificial lakes constructed usually of earthwork where large
quantities of water is stored.
• furnish good quality of water .
• water is clear,palatable and rank next to rain water in purity .
Rivers
• Turbid during rainy season , clear in other seasons
• contain dissolved and suspend impurites of all kind.
• bacterial count, including the human intestinal organism may be very
high.
• river water need purification before it can be used for drinking
purposes.
TANKS
• Are large excavations in which surface water is stored.
• are recipients of contamination of all sorts .
Ground water
• rain water percolating into the ground.
• It is the cheapest and most practical means of providing water to
small communities.
Advantages:
- free from pathogen
-usually requires no treatment
-supply certain during dry season
- less subject to contamination than surface water
• Disadvantages:
- High in mineral content e.g salts of calcium and magnesium.
- requires some arrangment to lift the water (Requires pumping).
Wells
Important source of water supply, they are
of many types:
Shallow wells
Deep wells
Artesian wells: are kind of deep wells in which water rises above
the level of ground water under pressure.
Sanitary wells: A sanitary well is one which is properly located,
well constructed& protected against contamination with a view to
yield a supply of safe water.
wells
A.Shallow wells:
• tap subsoil water i.e water from the above the first impervious layer
in the ground.
• limited water supply
• liable to pollution.
• moderately hard water
• usually goes dry in summer
B. Deep wells:
• tap water from the water bearing stratum below the first impervious
layer in the ground.
• furnishes the safest water
• water is much hard
• C. Sanitary wells:
• is onw which is properly located , well constructed and protected
aganist contamination with a view to yeild supply of safe water.
• location:
not less than 15 m from likely sources of contamination.
well should be located that no user has to carry the water for more
than 100 m .
• lining:
• should be built of bricks and stones set in cement up to a depth of at
least 6 m so that the water enters from the bottom and not from the
side.
• linnig should be carried 60-90 cm above the ground level .
• coverage:
top of well should be closed with a cement concrete covering to
prevent pollution.
• platform:
cement concrete platform round the well extending at least 1 m with
gentle slope.
• Handpump:
well should be equipes with a hand pump to lift the water in a sanitary
manner.
Springs
• when the ground water comes to the surface and flows freely under
natural pressure it called a ‘spring’.
• 2 types : shallow and deep
• shallow run dry during the summer months while deep do not.
• springs are exposed to contamination so well built protective
structures are necessary to safeguard it.
QUANTITY, QUALITY &
ACCESSIBILITY
WATER QUANTITY
• Water is essential for life and all human communities must have some
kind of water source.
• It may be inadequate in volume and it may be a several hour’s walk away
but nevertheless some water must be available.
• However, if we apply any reasonable criterion of adequacy in terms of
the quantity, quality and availability of water- then most people in
developing countries do not have adequate supply.
WATER REQUIREMENT
• The basic physiological requirements for drinking water have been
estimated at about 2 liters per head per day ( for survival )
• A daily supply of 150-200 liters per capita is considered as an
adequate supply to meet for all domestic purposes
WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
These are exposure limits for bacteriological, viral,
chemical & physical agents that have been adopted by
governments or appropriate authorities
To minimize all known health hazards
ACCESS TO ADEQUATE
WATER SUPPLY
A fundamental need and human right
Has considerable health and economic benefits to households
and individuals
(lack of adequate water contributes to deaths and illness-
especially in children)
Improves economic productivity, a key component in poverty
alleviation efforts
HEALTH HAZARDS OF WATER
CONTAMINATION
• These are classified into two broad groups: Biological and chemical
hazards.
Biological Hazards
• These are the classical (or specific) water borne diseases, caused by
the presence of an infective agent or an acquatic host in the water
• a. Those caused by the presence of infective agents:
Viral diseases—Viral hepatitis A, E, poliomyelitis, rotavirus diarrhea
•Bacterial diseases—Typhoid, paratyphoid fever, bacillary dysentery,
cholera.
•Protozoal diseases—Amoebiasis, giardiasis
•Helminthic diseases—Ascariasis.
• b. Those caused by the presence of aquatic hosts:
• Snail—Schistosomiasis (Bilharziasis)
•Cyclops—Dracontiasis (Guineaworm disease)
Chemical Hazards
• These occur due to presence of certain harmful substances or due to
the presence of higher or lower concentrations in the water, as
follows:
•Deficiency of fluoride: lesser than 1 mg per liter, results in dental
caries and excess of fluoride results in dental fluorosis among children
and skeletal fluorosis among adults and elderly
• Deficiency of iodine results in goiter.
• Excess of nitrates (more than 45 mg perliter)results in cyanosis among
infants.
• The dissolved organic impurities like sulphates and
chlorides causes diarrhea and gastric disturbances like dyspepsia.
• The salts of lead, iron and zinc are responsible for constipation and
colicky abdomen.
•Excess of lead results in lead-poisoning
Other water associated diseases or
hazards
• Other water associated diseases or hazards resulting from contact
with water are infections of eyes, ears, nose, throat.
• diseases which are transmitted because of inadequate use of water
are shigellosis, conjunctivitis and scabies. They are also called as
‘water washed diseases
• Other group of diseases, related to water, are mosquito borne
diseases, because water is the breeding place for the mosquitoes like
malaria and dengue feve.
