Community response to the provision of alternative water supplies: A focus on chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) in rural Sri Lanka

Until recently, households in the most chronic kidney disease-affected rural areas of Sri Lanka used untreated groundwater for drinking and cooking, but, by 2018, that share was only 35%. About 50% of households consume water treated by reverse osmosis; others rely on piped water, water delivery by tanker and rainwater harvesting. Based on a new and representative survey of 1500 households, households' propensities to treat drinking water and adopt improved water sources are shown to be associated with their perceptions of water safety and trust in the institutions that provide alternatives to untreated well water.

Automated summary

In the most chronic kidney disease-affected rural areas of Sri Lanka, there has been a shift in households' water sources, with 50% now consuming water treated by reverse osmosis. Other households rely on piped water, water delivery by tanker, and rainwater harvesting. Households' propensities to treat drinking water and adopt improved water sources are associated with their perceptions of water safety and trust in the institutions providing alternatives to untreated well water, as revealed in a recent survey.