Dr Sally Weston, a Research Associate in Environmental Engineering, Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol, travelled up to the Houses of Commons on Monday 4 March for the STEM for BRITAIN event which sees 120 early stage or early career researchers present research posters to be judged by a panel of professional and academic research.
Dr Weston’s presentation highlighted the work she has undertaken in Kenya investigating how different water supply schedules affect household public health and well-being. This included surveying 200 households in the town of Machakos in Kenya regarding water supply, health and wellbeing.
Dr Weston explained: “Almost half of all piped water networks globally are unable to operate 24/7. This means more than a billion people worldwide receive a limited supply of drinking water, in some cases only a couple of hours each week.”
These ‘intermittent water supplies’ (IWS) systems create a severe public health risk, with more than 17 million cases of waterborne infection attributed to IWS each year.
Preliminary results of the Machakos survey showed that where residents live in the town affects how much water they receive and when they receive it. A third of households suffer from gastrointestinal illness and households with less water supply are more likely to suffer from typhoid.
Dr Weston said: “The majority of people surveyed said they have gone to sleep thirsty in the preceding two weeks, and a staggering 91% said they felt worry, anger and shame about their water supply.
“The author Thomas Fuller once wrote: ‘We never know the worth of water till the well is dry’. I applied for STEM for BRITAIN because I want to share how truly impactful a limited water supply can be for households. Often in the UK we take our safe drinking water for granted and could not imagine having to store water or for our children to go to sleep thirsty.
“I hope this research demonstrates to UK politicians how critical overseas development funding is in tackling pressing global challenges.”
Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said: “This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.
“These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future, and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”