Kassa, kinfe (PhD)Mulatu, Gutema2021-09-162023-11-182021-09-162023-11-182020-10-01http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/27921Water is essential for human to survive in life and having access to safe drinking water is a basic human right. However, significant number of population in developing countries especially in rural areas still drink fecally contaminated water. Similarly in Ethiopia one point water supplies are major source of drinking water in rural areas and small community(MoWIE 2015).Thus the development of water safety plans for small systems should focus on the control of microbial quality of drinking water in particular fecal contamination. The objective of the study was to assess Water Safety Plans Managing Drinking water quality for rural community, Dire Tiyyara District, Eastern Ethiopia September, 2020. A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 180 households in rural community, Dire Tiyyara District, Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 192 Water samples (12 from different source and 180 from HH) were collected and analyzed by membrane filtration method to identify faecal contamination. In addition sanitary survey was conducted at water source and point of use. In Further Combined result of microbiological and sanitary survey was used to prioritize public health risk for intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using Poison regression to assess the association between outcome variable and independent variable. Odd Ratios along with 95% Confidence intervals were estimated to measure the strength of the association and identify association bacteriological quality and water treatment, handling and storage, and latrine availability, use and operation at household level/point of use Out of 12 sources eleven (11) water sources were found to have fecal contamination. In addition level of contamination in one source was very high, and has a major public health impact and need urgent intervention. On the other hand, the average Colony count of TTC of sample (CFU/100ml) at point of use had shown increment at every point from catchment to point of use. Thus, out of the samples analyzed at point of use 91.2% had fecal coliform above permissible level (0 CFU/100ml) for drinking water. Out of this 54.7% of the water sample from point of use had major public health impact and it is clearly priority and need urgent intervention. Furthermore Samples from HH who use water treatment found to be 2 times likely to be contaminated [AOR=1.99; 95% CI (1.89, 2.07)]. Similarly HH with low sanitary risk of water handling and storage were 8.89 less likely to be contaminated compared to household with very high risk [AOR=8.89; 95%CI (8.19, 9.86)] and household with very high sanitary risk of latrine availability, use and operation were 3.86 more likely to be contaminated than low risk [AOR=3.86; 95%CI (3.45, 4.32)]. The study showed fecal contamination of drinking water in rural community of Dirre Tiyyara was significant. As a result, an intervention focusing on improving the quality of drinking should be taken.enBacteriological QualityPublic Health Risk PrioritizationWspSanitary SurveyThesis