Effectiveness of potash alum in decontaminating household water.

To evaluate the effectiveness of potash alum in purifying household water, this study was carried out in a suburban community in Yangon, Myanmar. It was designed to test whether the application of potash alum (0.05%) regularly into household water storage vessels during water replenishment was capable of decontaminating household water in homes using shallow well water. It was conducted in 100 households (50 each in intervention and control groups). After alum (0.05%) was added, the contamination level of water decreased on the 2nd and 3rd days. The alum-treated water was well tolerated by the users; only one member complained of a metallic taste. We conclude that potash alum was effective and acceptable in this community in decontaminating household water.