Water quality for young children in Cambodia—High contamination at collection and consumption level

Unsafe drinking water is a leading cause of child morbidity, especially among young children in low‐income settings. Safe water consumption requires high‐quality water available at its source and at point of use. We examined the quality of drinking water at point of collection and point of use in 796 households in three provinces, in Cambodia. Microbiological testing for coliform and Escherichia coli contamination was conducted for samples collected. Bivariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine associations between various factors and the deterioration in water quality (increase in the risk according coliform or E. coli concentration) between point of collection and point of use. Contamination with both coliforms and E. coli was higher at point of use than at point of collection, with contamination at point of collection to account for 76.6% (coliforms) and 46.3% (E. coli). Results suggest that child drinking water represents a considerable pathway for the ingestion of pathogens, in Cambodia. Area of residence, seasonality, type of water source, and water chlorination were associated with coliform concentration between the point of collection and point of use, whereas only seasonality was associated with E. coli contamination (OR = 1.46; 95% CI [1.05, 2.02]). Children living in rural settings were two times more likely to drink water with a deteriorating coliform concentration between the two‐time points than children living in urban settings (OR = 2.00; 95% CI [1.22, 3.30]). The increase in coliform and E. coli concentrations between point of collection and point of use indicates that water contamination mostly occurs within the household. Strengthening national legislation on water quality standards and promoting safe water management at the household are needed.