Trial of Low-cost Microbiological Water Test Kits

Data collectors will give a short community presentation on water treatment, as well as safe water handling and storage. Then, data collectors will immediately visit households and review this information. Data collectors will return within 72 hours and review this information once more.

Household specific water quality data will be provided in two ways. In the Standard Testing Arm, water quality data will be analyzed in a laboratory by standard methods and results will be delivered to households. In the Test Kit arm, water quality data will be analyzed in households using provided water test kits.

Intervention component consists of low-cost, biodegradable that tests for the presence of E. coli in water samples. The test uses Aquatest broth medium with resorufin methyl ester chromogen. Presence of E. coli (positive test) imparts bright red color, making it easy to use/interpret at the household level with minimal training