Drinking water in South Asia

Water-borne diseases continue to be a major source of disease and mortality in South Asia. In developed economies, such as Canada, drinking water quality is a matter of great concern.  Statistics Canada recently reported that 88% of the water treated by the plants in Canada was surface water, which was treated to be ready for human consumption.

The monthly reporting of E. coli in drinking water in Canada was found to be within the specified limits 98% of the time.  In South Asia, the numbers are the other way around where perhaps 98% of the time the E. coli count may be in excess of the specified limits.