Based on the presence of total coliforms
(79% of households) and fecal
coliforms (61% of households), a substantial
proportion of rural households
were found to have drinking water
considered unfit for human consumption.
This was even true for households
receiving treated, pipeborne water distributed
by the Water and Sewage Authority
(WASA), where total coliforms
were detected in 57% of samples and
fecal coliforms were detected in 41% of
samples.