Martin has made a research trip to rural communities in Southern Africa, sampling the drinking water quality from shallow wells. He is currently working with Theresa Mkandawire at Malawi Polytechnic in trying to develop a plant extract in the form of a new geotextile filter to improve the drinking water quality from shallow wells. A research grant from the Water Research Fund for Southern Africa (WARFSA) has been awarded to this project.

An in-situ water testing kit was used to determine the water quality, in terms of microbiological, chemical and physical contamination, from 26 shallow wells located in Blantyre, Chiradzulu and Mulanje. To account for seasonal variations in water quality, the wells were tested twice in the dry season (August and October) and twice in the wet season (February and April).

In terms of total coliforms (TC), approximately 80% of the shallow wells tested in the dry season and 100% of the wells in the wet season did not meet the temporary drinking water guidelines set by the Ministry of Water Development, of a maximum of 50 TC/100ml for untreated water. Approximately 50% of the wells failed to meet the faecal coliform drinking water guideline of 50 FC/100ml in the dry season, this figure had increased to 94% of the wells failing to meet the standard in the wet season. Typically a shallow well would supply the drinking water to 300 Malawians, and they would need to walk a few kilometres to reach the well.

Martin said: "One of the most dominant things that will remain in the forefront of my mind is that, as the photographs of the children around the wells show, they have very few possessions, yet the biggest of smiles. A very small improvement in their water quality can make significant difference to their lives."

Related Links

All Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development (APGOOD)
http://www.odi.org.uk/speeches/apgood/index.html