ABSTRACT
In the slums of Nairobi, water is frequently scarce, sometimes costly, and its supply uncertain. On good days, women and others collecting water for their households spend about an hour going to a nearby vendor with water, queuing up, and then walking home with 44 lb containers carrying water on their heads (Brocklehurst et al. 2005). They make multiple trips to get sufficient water, particularly for laundry. On bad days, collecting water can take several hours. One estimate suggests that households spend 20% of their income on water (UNDP 2006). Women interviewed say they frequently curtail clothes-washing, often postpone baths, and sometimes have fewer meals, when water is unavailable or unaffordable. One corner, wall or under-table space of each 10 foot by 10 foot, mud wall and tin-roof dwelling has multiple containers in which water can be stored. With uncertain access to water, each household has to store water within the house.
