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The water from the handpumps is mostly contaminated with a faecal coliform count between 10 and 100. The water is not used for drinking as tap water is available for two hours each morning. The handpump water is used for bathing, washing plates and clothes and for animal consumption. Are these acceptable uses for contaminated water or should plate washing for example be restricted? Many of the handpumps are located near to Septic tanks which leak and contaminate the ground water so it would be very hard to protect the pumps from contamination without relocating them. The charity I'm working with has said that the concrete aprons are not really necessary due to the soil being sandy, so water does not pool around the pump for very long, and the pump water is not for drinking. Is this a correct assumption to make about the concrete aprons or would you suggest their construction anyway?

Jennifer