Challenges in implementing a point-of-use water quality intervention in rural Kenya

To prevent diarrheal diseases in western Kenya, CARE Kenya initiated the Water, Sanitation, and Education for Health (WASEH) Project in 1998. The project targets 72 farming and fishing communities with a total population of 43 000. Although the WASEH Project facilitated construction of shallow wells and pit latrines, the water quality still needed improvement. Consequently, in 2001, CARE implemented the Safe Water System (which consists of point-of-use water treatment with sodium hypochlorite, safe storage, and behavior change techniques) within the already established WASEH infrastructure, using existing community organizations in combination with a social marketing approach that introduced affordable products. The project has resulted in adoption rates of 33.5% for chemical water treatment and 18.5% for clay pots modified for safe water storage.