Source Protection and Drinking Water Quality in the Comarca Ngabe-Bugle, Panama

• Main Author: Miller, Leigh Burgess
• Language: EN
• Published: Michigan Technological University 2017
• Subjects: Civil engineering|Water resources management
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10246067

<p> The goal of this study was to identify practical, cost-effective drinking water source protection measures in the Comarca Ng&auml;be-Bugl&eacute;, a remote indigenous region of Panama. Water samples from 40 spring captures were tested for <i>E. coli</i> and total coliforms, and quality results were then compared with maintenance and source protection criteria using odds ratios. The water was contaminated; only two samples passed Panamanian drinking water standards--0 CFU/100 ml for <i>E. coli</i> and 3 CFU/100 ml for total coliforms. Mean <i>E. coli</i> was 187 CFU/100 ml and mean total coliforms was 2036 CFU/100 ml. Few odds ratio tests of source protection practices produced statistically significant results. However, the presence of animals within ten meters of the source and cleaning out the spring capture structure had statistically significant relationships with water quality at some contamination thresholds. Surprisingly, at one threshold, the presence of surface water near the spring was unrelated to water quality. Protecting water sources from livestock can be complicated in this region by ambiguous land tenure laws. Likewise, cleaning and basic maintenance are often done on a volunteer basis, and thus subject to the limitations of the community management model. Panamanian and foreign organizations seeking to improve drinking water source quality should consider these complex issues and offer financial and technical support as they encourage source protection improvements.</p>