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Title
WHO - Options for Simple on Farm Water Treatment in Developing Countries
Abstract
The lack of wastewater treatment capacity, which is especially prominent in low-income countries, has resulted in untreated
wastewater polluting streams and rivers used for crop irrigation. This situation calls for further options for health risk reduction.
Hence, while source treatment of wastewater remains the priority option, implementing supplementary, or in the worst case
alternative, non-conventional treatment or non-treatment measures appears, at least for the time being, crucial to reduce health
risks posed by the use of untreated or only partially treated wastewater in agriculture.
This Guidance note presents some point-of-use irrigation water treatment options, which are low-cost, often build on farmers’
own infrastructure and have shown potential in reducing microbiological crop contamination in smallholder farming (0.05-
0.8 ha) in developing countries. The effectiveness of most systems varies with the area available and commitment of farmers to
install and/or maintain them. While the area can not be changed, farmers’ commitment can be supported through incentives.
Farm-based treatment is never a singular measure for risk reduction, but, depending on local conditions, it may be an important
component of an incremental risk management strategy. Its value comes to expression in combination with other measures,
such as safer irrigation practices and post-harvest food safety measures. The reader should thus feel encouraged to use the cases
presented here as examples for local adaptation and upgrading. They address on-farm ponds, filter systems and conventional
irrigation infrastructure
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