| Little quantitative information is available on how institutional factors affect drinking water quality in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Data were collected on E. coli concentrations and management practices at 549 rural water points in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia. Water piped on the premises of the home had much lower odds of contamination than public taps, boreholes, dug wells, and springs. The presence of a trained technician marginally decreased the odds of contamination (OR=0.28, p=0.07). Among water points testing positive for E. coli, nearby technical support and fee collection systems were associated with significantly lower concentrations. The sanitary inspection score, previously recommended as a surrogate for water quality analysis, was uncorrelated with E. coli concentrations (Kendall's tau =-0.063, p=0.11). These results provide further evidence of the need for financial and institutional support to maintain water points and to aim for piped water as the gold standard. |
