Associations between Water Supply Interruptions and Water Use, Drinking Water Quality, Child Health, and Caregiver Stress in Peri-Urban Malawi

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Interrupted water supplies contribute to water insecurity, water quality risks, diarrhea, and stress; other risks (acute respiratory infections (ARIs), antibiotic use, antimicrobial resistance) remain unquantified. We assessed associations between water interruptions and various outcomes. Among 237 households in Malawi, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire and tested drinking water for generic and cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC). Water interruptions in the past month were reported by 32.5% of households; interruptions were unpredictable and more common in piped supplies. Households with interruptions were 3−5 times more likely to be water-insecure, skip laundry and handwashing after handling animal feces ( p -values < 0.05). Most water samples came from storage, and 65.7% harbored E. coli and 8.4% harbored CREC; households with vs without interruptions had similar fecal contamination. Children