International Journal of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Vol. 4(2), pp. 35-43, February 2012
Well water contamination by pit latrines: A case study of Langas, Kenya
Clement Kiprotich Kiptum, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Moi University
In many peri-urban areas of Kenya, potable piped water does not exist and where it does, it is rarely reliable. Thus, in such areas, residents heavily rely on groundwater sources for their daily survival. Therefore, it is common to find individual wells in each plot within such a peri-urban dwelling. Furthermore, in most cases, such dwellings lack municipal sewers, hence forcing residents to construct pit latrines at close proximity to their wells. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find a well located just a few metres from an un-lined pit latrine.
A study was carried out on the well water contamination by pit latrines in Langas which is peri-urban settlement of Eldoret town, Kenya. The study sought to establish the safety (quality) of water in wells located near pit latrines on individual plots of the settlement. The results show that most wells were contaminated and posed a health risk to the dwellers of the settlement. From the results it is recommended that a safe well-pit latrine separation distance of 48 m be maintained which will avoid contamination of well water from pit latrines.
