Study of the water quality of the Nyabarongo River in Rwanda

Along with the study of the incidence of water related diseases

Source of Funding: US Agency for International Development (USAID)

Amount: $30,000.00

Period: April –September 1993

Summary of Findings: Consisted of a "Design of a Water Quality Monitoring Network and Ecologic Study of Water Related Diseases along the Nyabarongo River in Rwanda". Water samples were collected via a monitoring network established at 6 stations (one being the baseline) and analyzed for biological (fecal coliforrns and Ecoli), physical (temperature, pH, conductivity and suspended solids) and chemical and biochemical (dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand) pollutants. Using the results of an industrial water discharge survey and the trace metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Sn and Zn) from the samples taken at the industrial outfalls, the contribution was determined on a mass/time basis of most of the point sources of industrial pollution being discharged into the river. The relationship was studied between this water related diseases (malaria, diarrheal diseases and skin infections) and the parameters such as rainfall and the exposure to the surface waters by season among the subdistricts along the river. A database was compiled on a daily basis for a three-year period (1990, 1991 and 1992) from 6 health centers covering 120,000 people with 3-year data on rainfall from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. This thesis work has been adopted by the WHO (World Health Organization) Library in Geneva to serve as the reference for GEMS (Global Environmental Monitoring System)/WATER development in Eastern Africa.