Discussion
The first purpose of the present studies was to determine why residents of San Sebastian de Lemoa, a
community in rural Guatemala, were not availing themselves of newly available clean drinking water from a
deep well. A survey was developed using a theoretical model of health-seeking attitude and behaviour
relationships and administered to inhabitants of the community. Results suggested that (a) many inhabitants
believed their current drinking water was safe; (b) residents did not discriminate between the water from the
deep well and their traditional sources of water. However, they showed more general acceptance of groundwater
wells as a delivery system than did residents of a similar community with no deep well access. In a second visit
to the sites, a short educational tutorial showing the benefits of drinking water drawn from deep wells was
introduced to residents of these villages. Participants on this occasion showed more acceptance of well water
following the educational sessions. In the one and a half years following the initial visit to Lemoa, the use of the
community well increased more than threefold. This may or may not have been attributable to the intervention;
in any event, it was gratifying to see Lemoa’s residents making more use of the deep well than previously.