Improving Knowledge and Practices for Microbial Water Quality Testing in Africa

Why doesn’t water quality testing meet regulatory standards in many African countries? The Aquaya Institute launched the Monitoring for Safe Water (MfSW) program in 2012 to answer this question. In collaboration with IWA and the World Health Organisation, the MfSW project provides resources, knowledge, and technical assistance to collaborating water suppliers and public health surveillance agencies in Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia.

With IWA’s support, the MfSW project has produced the largest data set on microbial water quality in Africa with the comprehensive analysis of over 70,000 water tests. In addition, program researchers are working with appropriate institutions to study the roles of specific factors in the scale-up of microbial water quality testing. Results of this analysis provide new valuable insights into the factors contributing to problems with water quality management across Africa and will guide the development of best policies and practices for water quality monitoring.