title: Sachet water quality and brand reputation in two low-income urban communities in greater Accra, Ghana.
abstract: Sachet water has become an important primary source of drinking water in western Africa, but little is known about bacteriologic quality and improvements to quality control given the recent, rapid evolution of this industry. This report examines basic bacteriologic indicators for 60 sachet water samples from two very low-income communities in Accra, Ghana, and explores the relationship between local perceptions of brand quality and bacteriologic quality after controlling for characteristics of the vending environment. No fecal contamination was detected in any sample, and 82% of total heterotrophic bacteria counts were below the recommended limit for packaged water. Sachets from brands with a positive reputation for quality were 90% less likely to present any level of total heterotrophic bacteria after controlling for confounding factors. These results contrast with much of the recent sachet water quality literature and may indicate substantial progress in sachet water regulation and quality control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida; Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida; Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware; Water Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stoler
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tutu
authors.forename: Hawa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Lady Asantewa
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Frimpong
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bello
mesh_terms: D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D059022:Food Safety; D005869:Ghana; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011203:Poverty; D011786:Quality Control; D014505:Urban Population; D014871:Water Microbiology; D060753:Water Quality; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water