title: [Causes of drinking-water contamination in rain-fed cisterns in three villages in Ramallah and Al-Bireh District, Palestine].
abstract: We studied the biological characteristics of drinking-water in three villages in Ramallah and al-Bireh district, by testing the total coliforms. Water samples were collected from rain-fed cisterns between October and November 2001. The results show that 87% of tested samples of drinking-water were highly contaminated and in need of coagulation, filtration and disinfection based on the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking-water, and 10.5% had low contamination and were in need of treatment by disinfection only. Only 2.5% of the tested samples were not contaminated and were suitable for drinking without treatment. The main cause of drinking-water con tamination was the presence of cesspits, wastewater and solid waste dumping sites near the cisterns.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Palestine. ikhatib@birzeit.edu
authors.forename: Issam A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Al-Khatib
authors.forename: Moammar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orabi
mesh_terms: D015984:Causality; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004203:Disinfection; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008877:Middle East; D011891:Rain / Q000382:microbiology*; D012722:Sewage; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018508:Water Purification; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage