Intermittent slow sand filtration for preventing diarrhoea among children in Kenyan households using unimproved water sources: randomized controlled trial

Summary Objective Measure effectiveness of intermittent slow sand filtration for reducing child diarrhoea among households using unimproved water sources in rural Kenya. Methods A randomized controlled trail was conducted among populations meeting a high‐risk profile for child diarrhoea from drinking river water in the River Njoro watershed. Intervention households (30) were provided the concrete BioSand Filter and instructed on filter use and maintenance. Control households (29) continued normal practices. Longitudinal monthly monitoring of diarrhoea (seven‐day daily prevalence recall) and of influent, effluent, and drinking water quality for fecal coliform was conducted for 6 months. Results Intervention households had better drinking water quality than control households (fecal coliform geometric mean, 30.0 CFU vs. 89.0 CFU/100 ml, P