Effective functioning of a health care facility, and the ability to prevent the spread of infections, relies on a safe, sufficient and reliable supply of water on premises. Assessing the sufficiency of a health care facility’s water supply is complex, requiring different measurements of quantity, quality and reliability as well as different types of water for different purposes. Questions G-W1, G-W2 and G-W3 provide an indication of a facility’s water supply, acknowledging that in many higher income settings, simply having a water supply on premises is not an aspirational target. Question G-W1 aims to determine the type of the facility’s main source of water for general purposes, including drinking, washing, hygiene, environmental cleaning and laundry. It does not cover water for medical purposes, such as dialysis. Where water is available from multiple sources, the main source should be recorded. The recommended categories are based on JMP definitions of “improved” and “unimproved” water sources.
Question G-W2 asks about location of the water supply, in recognition of the fact that health care facilities need large volumes of water for example 100 L of water per delivery and 40-60 L per inpatient per day) and therefore should have a water supply located on premises to be able to meet the demands of the facility. The question refers to the water supply, i.e. the location from which water is a acessed, rather than the original source of the supply.
Question G-W3 asks about the availability of water on the day of the survey or questionnaire, rather than asking respondents to generalise about availability of water over time, to limit response bias.
RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q)
G-W1 What is the main water supply for the facility? (Tick one)
Response options: piped supply inside the building (if selected, skip to G-W3); piped supply outside the building / tube well / borehole / protected dug well / unprotected dug well / protected spring / unprotected spring / rainwater / tanker truck / surface water (river/dam/lake/pond) / other (specify) / don't know (no further questions) / no water source (no further questions)
Note: if there is more than one source, the one used most frequently should be selected. If patients need to bring water from home because water is not available at the facility, "no water source" should be selected.
G-W2 - where is the main water supply for the facility located?
Response options: on premises / up to 500m / 500m or further
Note: On premises means within the building or facility grounds. This question refers to the location from where the water is accessed for use in the health facility (e.g. tap, borehole), rather than the source where it originates.
G-W3 - is water available from the main water supply at the time of the survey?
Response options: yes / no
Note: To be considered available, water should be available at the facility at the time of the survey or questionnaire. Where possible, the enumerator should confirm that water is available from this source, e.g. check that taps or hand pumps deliver water
