article · Cleaner Waste Systems
This study evaluates community knowledge and practices regarding waste management, drinking water systems, and associated public health risks across rural, semi-urban, and urban settings. Findings show that 92 percent of rural dwellers depend on potentially contaminated water sources, comprising 43 percent using open surface water and 49 percent using hand-dug wells. In rural areas, 52 percent still practise open defecation. Across the broader population surveyed, only 5.7 percent have access to treated water, whilst 56 percent of waste is deposited in open dumpsites or landfills, 27 percent is burned, and 7 percent is discarded into water bodies. Urban zones lack engineered landfills, exacerbating environmental risks. Attitudes towards waste and water systems correlate significantly with education levels. The study concludes that improving basic sewage infrastructure, implementing proper waste practices, and providing community education are vital steps to safeguard public health and protect water supplies.
Widespread reliance on untreated drinking water alongside improper waste disposal and open defecation creates severe public health and environmental risks. Understanding community practices and educational disparities allows local authorities, public health officials, and environmental planners to direct infrastructure investments, such as engineered landfills and basic sewage systems, where they are most urgently needed to curb preventable disease outbreaks.
The abstract does not indicate a clear commercialisation pathway or specific technological product. However, the survey findings could inform municipal planners, public works agencies, and sanitation service providers seeking evidence to justify deployment of water treatment facilities, waste management logistics, and basic sewage infrastructure. The work is early-stage diagnostic assessment based entirely on field survey data rather than tested commercial technology.
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Assessing the waste management practices and drinking water source systems is essential for public health systems and the well-being of millions. However, inadequate integration of community knowledge into scientific research to effectively address environmental issues remains a great challenge. This study assessed the community knowledge on the prevalent waste management practices, drinking water source systems, and the potential associated health risks using a descriptive cross-sectional design utilizing diagnostic survey questionnaires (DSQs) and oral interviews (OIs) in villages, semi-urban, and urban areas. The study reveals that 92 % of villagers rely on potentially contaminated water sources, with 43 % drinking from open surface water and 49 % from hand-dug wells. Meanwhile, open defecation remains prevalent, with 52 % of villagers resorting to this practice. The situation worsens in urban areas, where 56 % of residents dispose of waste in open dumpsites/landfills, with no access to engineered landfills. Waste burning, a hazardous practice, is employed by 27 % of the population. The data show that 17 % of the population relies on surface water, 40 % on hand-dug wells, and 36 % on boreholes, with only 5.7 % accessing treated water. 56 % of waste is disposed of in open dumpsites/landfills, 27 % is burned, 9 % is indiscriminately dumped, and 7 % is dumped in water bodies. 18 % of the population defecates openly, 30 % use pit latrines, and 55 % rely on untreated water systems for defecation. This implies that combining community knowledge with scientific research to address environmental challenges is crucial. However, the attitude of the respondents towards waste management, drinking water sources and health risks accounts for a significant variation in respondents’ education. Effective implementation of waste management practices and provision of basic sewage infrastructural systems, coupled with adequate education, is required to protect drinking water sources, prevent pandemic diseases, and safeguard the national economy and health. • Regional drinking water sources, human defecate, and waste management were examined. • The common trends in public health risk associated with drinking water sources examined • The intricate relationships between waste management and drinking water were examined. • The Influence of interactions between waste and water on public health risks was discussed. • The importance of education and awareness for ensuring clean and safe water was discussed.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100295
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