Diseases Caused By Blockage Of Water In The Drains

Sanitation as defined by WHO is a provision for disposal of waste produced by humans. Drains serve as one such way for the disposal of such wastes. And if they are blocked, the stagnant water can lead to multiple diseases. In this article, we will quickly take a look at how an inefficient drainage system causes diseases and then talk about the diseases caused by the blockage of water in drains and some disease prevention strategies.

Inefficient Drainage System As Source Of Diseases

Waste products are often channeled through drains to disposal sites. However, in many cases, the water flow in the drain may get blocked probably due to faulty engineering and irregular cleaning. Stagnant water supports the growth of multiple microorganisms like bacteria, protozoa, viruses, disease-causing larvae which can lead to waterborne as well as vector (mosquitoes and flies) borne diseases respectively.

Although humans rely on safe drinking water, a blocked drain near a drinking water source can be the cause of waterborne diseases. How it occurs is that, once the drain is blocked, water starts accumulating in it. On top of that if it starts overflowing, usually in monsoons, when heavy rainfall helps the drainage system to overflow, the contaminated water may run off and mix with nearby water sources for drinking like ponds and wells, thereby contaminating them as well. This issue is mainly faced by developing and underdeveloped countries where people consume water directly from such sources without any pretreatment.

Also, a blocked drain can serve as a breeding place for insects like mosquitoes which can, later on, spread diseases as well.

Diseases Caused By Blockage of Water in The Drains

Drinking water contaminated by drain water can result in many diseases but the most common one is Diarrhea. It is characterized by loose watery stool. The pathogen in question involved is mainly E. Coli. Other organisms include Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba, Salmonella Typhi and many more.

On the other hand, blockage of water in drains can serve as breeding space for mosquitoes, which can then spread diseases like Malaria, Dengue, Yellow Fever.

Prevention of diseases caused by blockage of water in the drains

Now, that it is clear that a blocked drain can be a source of many diseases, let us learn about some preventive measures. This includes:

• Clean the drain regularly so as not to allow water to stagnate
• Use of larvicidal agent in the drain if there are lots of mosquitoes around
• Use a mosquito net or repellant while sleeping
• Apply chlorine in the nearby sources of drinking water
• Use a filter to remove contaminants from water before drinking
• Boil water before drinking to kill any microorganisms in it.

If your locality is facing water blockage in drains, you can use the above steps to ensure a clean drinking source. Also, the responsible authorities are to be informed for making the drains free-flowing so that diseases can be prevented from occurring in the family and the community.