Do Decentralized Community Treatment Plants Provide Clean Water? Evidence from Rural Andhra Pradesh, India
研究评估了印度农村安装分散式社区供水系统后，家庭用水行为、水质和健康的变化，发现使用率低、水质差且儿童腹泻增加，原因是用户减少了自我保护行为。
Though there is little evidence on its effectiveness, a decentralized community water system (CWS), such as a market-based kiosk, is thought to be appropriate where piped services are infeasible or unreliable. We assess changes in household behaviors, water quality, and health following the installation of a CWS in rural India, using quasi-experimental methods. Three negative findings stand out: (1) few households use the CWS, (2) water quality is lower among CWS users, and (3) childhood diarrhea is higher among CWS users. This appears to stem from reduced self-protection by users amid continuing reliance on multiple water sources. Decentralized supply solutions will not deliver environmental quality unless household protective behaviors are maintained.