Origin and water quality in the greater Buenos Aires

Rapid demographic growth and informal and unplanned urban growth in the Greater Buenos Aires is associated with high levels of deficits in basic sanitation services and the existence of numerous environmental risk factors to which are exposed its inhabitants. The aim of this study is to analyze the origin and quality of water used for consumption in a sample of households in the Greater Buenos Aires in which were detected individuals that had suffered from some water-borne disease during the last year. We performed a physical-chemical and bacteriological analysis of samples of water used for consumption in these homes. The total water samples taken and analyzed were 117 which come from 90 homes. The distribution of samples according to the water source is as follows: 18% of bottled water, well water 35% and 47% water supply (from mains). Preliminary results indicate that 40% of the samples show "not to be safe" due to excess fecal coliform, total and / or E. coli. If we consider the excess of nitrates (which was analyzed only for one third of the sample), the percentage that exceeds acceptable levels is 35%. Taken together coliforms, E. coli and nitrate the percentage of water samples that qualify as "no drinking" to reach 44%. The results of drinking water by source indicate that 9% of water samples from mains was not safe, while this percentage was 45% for samples of bottled water and 80% for water samples from well. We will analyze the characteristics of households with poor water quality and we will seek to model the probability of "bad water quality," according to the origin of the water and controlling for socio-economic conditions of the household.