Changes in the Use of Safe Water and Water Safety Measures in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Intervention Areas of Bangladesh: A Midline Assessment

The BRAC Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme reached 150 upazilas in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh since 2006. This study assessed the changes in the use of tubewell water and water safety measures in the households in the 11 upazilas of Bangladesh after BRAC WASH interventions.The study revealed that water safety measures including awareness of cleaning/purifying water and hygienic management of water increased significantly (p<0.01). The concrete-built platform increased from 63% in baseline to 69% in midline. Tubewell platforms were cleaned (32%) in baseline, which increased to 46% in midline. However, there still remained impediments to 100% safe water use by the households include arsenic contamination of tubewell water, financial inabilities of the ultra poor and poor households for installing tubewells for arsenic-free water, unmarked tubewell (whether contaminated by arsenic or not). The study concluded that WASH intervention has succeeded in increasing access to safe water use, hygienic management of water, and cleanliness of water collecting point in the study areas. It is encouraging to note that ultra poor households had interest to get new tubewells and preferred to pay the costs in monthly instalments, which indicates that these households were aware of the benefits of safe water. Thus, BRAC WASH programme needs to pay further attention to these impediments at the household level in order to further improve the current situation.