While drinking water may be available readily in the community, potability of this water is the issue. Several mode of disinfecting water for safety use has been introduced – but given the community setting, acceptability and practicality of these various mode of water disinfection becomes the determining factor for its popular use. This study was conducted to determine the effect of water disinfection promotion on the utilization rates of boiling, chlorination and SODIS as methods of water disinfection among selected households in Barangay New Dapitan, Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. Specifically the study aimed to determine the utilization rates of boiling, chlorination and SODIS before and after intervention. It also aimed to determine the percentage of households that continued to utilize boiling, chlorination and SODIS at one and three months post-intervention. Frequency and percentage were used to further analyze and illustrate the improvement from pre-intervention to post-intervention 1 and 2. A pre and post intervention design was utilized in this study. One hundred fifty respondents were included in this study. A convenience sampling method was used to select respondents. Three out of five water sources were found contaminated and unsafe for drinking as tested at Zamboanga City Medical Center. At the end of the study, majority or 142 households or 94.6% respondents chose SODIS as the easiest to prepare, most economical, easiest to teach to others, time-saving, and produces water with the best taste. Result of the study showed that health education; hands-on return demonstration and frequent follow-up and sustained monitoring drastically increased the knowledge and enhanced practice of all the three water disinfection method, especially SODIS as alternative water disinfection meth. A Barangay resolution was eventually passed recommending the use of solar disinfection of water as an official water treatment modality alternative to ensure availability of potable drinking water in this community.

Keyword: water disinfection promotion solar disinfection chlorination boiling Tampilisan zamboanga del norte