Qualidade da água para consumo humano e sua percepção em lares comunitários tradicionais, Departamento de Nariño, Colombia

Abstract

Considering the scarcity of studies on water for consumption in Rural Traditional Community Homes (RCTH) and the lack of knowledge about what community mothers perceive about the quality of water supply, quality, treatment, and diseases caused by inadequate water consumption in children under 5 years of age. The quality of water for human consumption was analyzed, in addition to identifying the perception of mothers of LCTR from two municipalities in the Guambuyaco region. The Water Quality Risk Index-IRCA was calculated with physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters, data provided by the Departmental Health Institute of Nariño and its compliance was compared with the Colombian Resolution 2115 of 2007, and a semi-structured interview was conducted with 23 mothers consisting of 20 questions divided into three categories: supply, quality-treatment, and diseases; descriptive statistics and a nonparametric analysis of Tau of Kendall correlation were used. It was evidenced that the parameters turbidity, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli do not meet the admissible limit of the Resolution; mothers infer that the quantity and time of supply are adequate and sufficient, but inappropriate treatments, are unaware of non-conventional technologies and perceive diseases such as diarrhea. It is concluded that the water is not suitable for human consumption as it presents a risk between "Medium to High" and the mothers perceive that the availability of water service depends on climatic factors, the water quality on sensory aspects (smell, taste, and color) and associate the symptoms as if they were diseases.