A Framework for Managing Water Quality From Hand-dug Well: A Case of Mutukula Town Council, Uganda

Abstract

This research proposed the adoption of a framework as a supporting tool to enhance the management of the quality of water from hand-dug wells in Mutukula Town Council, Uganda. Although water from hand-dug wells is often considered prone to contamination, no such study has been carried out for Mutukula Town Council. Adopting both qualitative and quantitative approaches including the use of surveys, experimentation and tools such as the sanitary inspection package developed by the World Health Organization, the research clearly indicated that not only was the quality of water from the 5 wells considered poor but that the wells also lacked pertinent components such as secure covers, drainage provisions, headwalls among others. Moreover, the absence of regulatory tools/guidelines, and cultural and socioeconomic practices amongst community members further contributed to risks associated with using water from these wells. This research proposes a framework that can be adopted by respective local authorities to enhance management and monitoring of water quality and it incorporates key components of training and capacity building, collective supervision and encouraging regular engagements with the various stakeholders