The impact of COVID-19 on households’ water use in Uganda

The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 necessitated the promotion of better hygiene practices to curb the spread of the virus. Better hygiene requires that households have a stable supply of water. However, little is known about the predictors of changes in water use in emergency situations such as COVID-19 in Uganda. This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey to examine the changes in the quantities of water used by 1,639 Ugandan households due to COVID-19. This article also explores the factors that are associated with changes in water use. The month March 2020 is used in this study as a cut-off because this is the month in which the government implemented a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. Results indicate that most households had an increase in the quantity of water used after March 2020 when compared with the period before March 2020. Household characteristics that were associated with a change in the quantity of water used were age, sex, education, main occupation of household head, household size and region of residence. The results can be used to inform the prediction and demand modelling of household water use for improved water interventions for equitable water supply during emergencies. HIGHLIGHTS About 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean water for household use.; The outbreak of COVID-19 emphasises the need to improve hygiene as a behavioural strategy.; Households changed behaviour due to COVID-19 which increased water use after March 2020 when compared with the period before March 2020.; There is need to design interventions to cope with the challenges for increased demand for water during emergencies.;