Global assessment of exposure to faecal contamination through drinking water based on a systematic review

This study estimated exposure to fecal contamination through drinking water as indicated by levels of E. coli and thermotolerant coliform in water sources; finding that 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water which suffers from fecal contamination, and of these, 1.1 billion drink water that is of at least ‘moderate’ risk. Data suggest that 10% of improved sources may be 'high' risk. Drinking water is found to be more often contaminated in rural areas than in urban areas, and contamination is most prevalent in Africa and Southeast Asia. The authors conclude that global burden of disease estimates may have substantially understated the disease burden associated with inadequate water services.