Exploring Why Some Household Water Treatment Systems Are Successful: A Holistic Approach to Motivators and Barriers of Adoption in Developing Economies

Abstract

Lack of access to potable drinking water is a crucial problem faced by many communities globally, especially poverty-stricken rural regions and urban and peri-urban settlements. Consumption of contaminated drinking water leads to both chronic and acute health consequences, especially in the case of young children and immunocompromised individuals. The sixth UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) seeks to provide universal access to safe drinking water by the year 2030. Household water treatment systems (HWTSs), such as membrane filters and chlorination tablets, have been researched and proposed as solutions for water treatment in developing economies for decades because they can provide localized solutions that best fit the context of the community of intervention. Despite increased resources, funding, and effort, many HWTSs fail long-term, sustained implementation in developing economies. This study takes a holistic approach, considering factors from both the technical and operational environment to identify factors and circumstances that inhibit these treatment technologies. Results from an analysis of 30 articles show that studies predominantly focus on factors related to system design and performance (e.g., contaminant removal efficacy, system flow rate, impact of turbidity). Many studies also focus on factors surrounding user perception and behavior. Factors with lower coverage in the data set relate to operation and maintenance, financial sustainability, supply chain, and the legal and regulatory structures. These findings are situated within a holistic conceptual framework that serves as a resource for knowledge transfer and can be updated to fit a variety of contexts.