Access to arsenic-free water in rural Bangladesh: An assessment of potential receptivity of the ARUBA system

Efforts in the 1970′s to curb consumption of contaminated surface water in Bangladesh inadvertently exposed 40-70 million people to tube well-derived arsenic levels lethal with long-term use. The recently invented ARUBA system (Arsenic Removal Using Bottom Ash) has the potential to be more economically feasible than previous arsenic removal systems. Assessment of several households′ value of clean water and potential receptivity of this system was performed in rural Bangladesh in 2008 in preparation for a large-scale intervention. Local knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors toward issues of access to clean, arsenic-free water were captured in 1337 comprehensive surveys, 30 structured interviews, and 3 in-depth community studies in high- and low-arsenic regions. Quantitative analysis using logistic regression and the discrete choice method has demonstrated how household valuation of clean water and perception of the ARUBA model are affected by socioeconomic factors, knowledge of and experience with arsenicosis, and attitudes and behaviors regarding current water systems. For example, two variables showing positive correlation with high value of clean water include previous testing of tube wells (odds ratio [OR] 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-3.60) and knowledge of arsenic′s effects (OR 1.24, CI 1.08-1.41). In addition, qualitative analyses have uncovered how key parameters such as convenience, cost, alternative water source availability, cultural norms, education about arsenic, and perception of the technology affect potential receptivity and water valuation. Results from these mixed methods will be useful for implementing community-scale water treatment with ARUBA in a feasible, scalable, and locally-tailored fashion for maximum effectiveness.