Evaluation of inline handpump chlorination in rural Uganda

Offre de stage

Sections : GC, SIE, SV

Place : Apac district, Uganda

Duration : 2-3 months (can consider longer if requested)

Hosting structure : Aquaya is a non-profit, independent research organization specialized in water and sanitation in low-income countries. Our mission is to produce practical knowledge that can help decision-makers make evidence-based decisions. Our research projects typically involve fieldwork (surveys, evaluation of technologies, interviews) in rural or urban communities. We disseminate our findings through peer-reviewed publications and briefs. We are currently a team of 19 staff and have projects in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. We maintain an office in Nairobi, though approximately half of our staff is based in other locations.

Project description :

Although a large proportion of the population in rural Africa uses wells fitted with handpumps as a primary drinking water source, inline chlorinators that can disinfect the water automatically as it gets pumped are still very uncommon. There is currently only one commercially-available technology for inline handpump chlorination and its technical/practical performance has not been rigorously evaluated in a representative field setting.

Aquaya is partnering with Everflow(https://everflowafrica.com/), an organization providing preventative handpump maintenance, to test inline chlorinators in 10 communities. This will consist in:

– Water quality measurements (chlorine residual, fecal indicator bacteria) at the 10 handpumps for a period of 2 months.

– Household surveys and collection of household water samples before and after the installation of chlorinators to assess the impact on water safety.

Required skills : (This project is available for Bachelor and Master students)

The intern will assist our research team in conducting the above activities. Tasks may include:

– Collecting and analyzing water quality samples.

– Helping coordinate enumerators for household surveys.

– Helping troubleshoot chlorinators when needed.

The intern should have the following profile:

– Engineering, science, or public health background.

– Fluency in English (verbal and written).

– Interest in applying field research to address the challenge of ensuring universal access to safe water.

– Attention to details, rigor in collecting and managing data.

– Interest in doing fieldwork in rural Uganda.

– Ability to work well in a resource-constrained setting.

– Ability to work well in a team and to communicate effectively.

Additionally, the following experiences would be a plus:

– Experience working in a low-income country setting.

– Experience conducting water quality analysis or working in a laboratory.

– Experience developing or testing a technology.

Other : Possible accommodation and meals.

Comments : This project may be delayed if restrictions related to the COVID-19 epidemic are still in place in July.

Contact : Caroline Delaire, caroline@aquaya.org

Evaluation of inline handpump chlorination in rural Uganda

Offre de stage