| Abstract | The study conducted over the period of 4 months (from Nov 2007 to Feb 2008) in Central (Dhaka, Faridpur) and Southern Bangladesh (Barisal). A total of 30 poor and low income households comprising 184 persons were recruited into the field study. The households belonged to an urban slum (14 households), and rural (16 households) areas. 10 random samples of raw water and treated drinking water were tested, while structured questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews via Repertory Grid Methodology (RGM) were carried out by the investigator. A parallel study conducted in the Hue province, Central Vietnam by another AIT MSc student investigator (Mrs. Hoang Ngoc Tuong Van). First field survey revealed that alum-treated water was a preferred intervention (16.6%) among four options of water treatment interventions that were practiced at household level. From the results of the laboratory analysis it showed that the microbial quality of drinking water produced by alum intervention was not in accordance with the WHO standards for drinking water (Total coliform values of 8 to 16 cfu/100ml while Faecal coliform value was Nil cfu/100ml). In this research a classical RGM was specifically adapted for the drinking water management field through random triads of elements that described the drinking water qualities (constructs): “taste”, “convenience in obtaining water”, “cost”, etc. The ‘elements’ (e.g. “well water”, “rain water” etc) and ‘constructs’ were found to be specific for Bangladesh therefore that may be concluded that the RGM adaptation must take into account specifics both in terms of local environment water sources and local informants’ attitudes to drinking water. Second field survey results showed that construct “taste” was given the highest priority (80.0%) for good drinking water quality among total 9 elicited constructs by triading of sixteen solicited elements. In contrast, in Vietnam the construct “microbial quality” was ranked the highest (95.0%) out of 11 constructs. From the detailed analyses on significant differences among various focus groups in terms of perceptions of drinking water quality were demonstrated that urban slum households of the study area 3 considered “taste” and “odor” were of the higher importance (100%) than the urban slum households of Study area 1 while rural households of Study area 3 considered “taste” and “odor” to be of the highest importance (100%) than rural households of Study area 2. Males in comparison to females considered 4 constructs odor (100.0%), taste (100.0%), color (50.0%), and seasonal availability (50.0%) as more important by the margins of 21.5, 28.6, 14.3, and 35.8, respectively. Uneducated household group valued the importance of the following three constructs (taste (86.6%), odor (73.3%), and convenience in obtaining water (66.6%) higher than educated household group by the margins of 13.3, 0 and 40, respectively. Poor household group paid their higher consideration to the importance of the two constructs: taste (100.0%) and odor (85.7%), in comparison with low income household group by the margins of 37.5 and 23.2, respectively. Comparatively the study revealed interesting general attitudes to drinking water. The Bangladeshi informants have demonstrated a lesser uniformity in their attitudes on drinking water quality, than the Vietnamese counterparts. The Bangladeshi informants showed their preference on water of natural origin (e.g. deep/shallow tube well water, etc.) while the Vietnamese preferred of quality assured water in terms of origin (e.g. boiled tap water, etc).The Recommendations generated by the study will be used by the WHO-led “Network to promote Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage” of which AIT is an integral part. |