AKIPRESS.COM - Drinking water in Tajikistan has high levels of coliform bacteria and low palatability, according to the new World Bank report.

Access varies to safely managed water sources (i.e. those that are improved, available when needed, and free of fecal contamination). While 57% of urban households have access to safely managed water, only 31% of rural households have so.

Over the last decade, access to sanitation has improved, but Tajikistan continues to have some of the poorest conditions in Central Asia. Access to flush toilets connected to a sewer system in rural areas remains low, at only 1.7%, as opposed to 60% in urban areas. Inequalities are more pronounced across regions, while the capital Dushanbe accounts for more than four-fifths of all sewer connections across the country.

Tajikistan suffers from high prevalence of childhood undernutrition and stunting; this study suggests that childhood stunting is strongly associated with deprivations relating to access to adequate drinking water and sanitation, food deprivation, and care practices. Beyond the adverse health impacts on children, households in Tajikistan incur a range of monetary and non-monetary costs related to their main drinking water supply.

Among households that report they pay for water, expenditures on cold water supply make up 5% of their total annual expenditure. Households that pay for non-piped water services also incur higher per unit costs than households with piped connections. Typically, households also pay for the costs of repairs, water treatment, and water transportation. Households spend an average of 17.4 minutes each day to reach their water source, collect water, and return home.