Introduction to Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (Coursera)

Introduction to Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (Coursera)

It is well known that water treatment at the household level can lead to dramatic improvements in drinking water quality. But does Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) also have global relevance? What are the potential treatment solutions and how do they function? Is there a standard strategy for successful HWTS implementation, or can we identify key components which make programs more likely to succeed? In this course you will learn about the most important water treatment methods at household level, successful implementation strategies and about assessing the impact of HWTS.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

MOOC SERIES “SANITATION, WATER AND SOLID WASTE FOR DEVELOPMENT” : This course is one of four in the series “Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development".

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to HWTS
The course begins with a review of the public health impacts of unsafe drinking water. We define physical, chemical, and microbial aspects of drinking water quality and present the major classes of pathogens. Information about pathways for faecal contamination of drinking water are followed by an introduction to the concept of HWTS and the principal technologies.

WEEK 2
HWTS treatment options
During week 2 and 3 we focus on potential treatment methods. We refer first to the standards of safe drinking water and improved drinking water. Week 2 focuses on sedimentation and different kinds of filtration.

WEEK 3
HWTS treatment options
During week 2 and 3 we focus on potential treatment methods. We refer first to the standards of safe drinking water and improved drinking water. Week 3 focuses on heat, ultraviolet radiation, chemical disinfection. Specific modules are provided to cover safe storage and combined methods of water treatment.

WEEK 4
Implementation strategies for HWTS
During week 4 we analyse different approaches that have been successfully applied. We highlight key components which make programs more likely to succeed. We ask the questions, what is required that the most vulnerable populations use HWTS correctly and consistently over the long-term? In separate modules we consider the special case of HWTS in emergency response and provide information about the role of government bodies.

WEEK 5
Monitoring and Evaluating HWTS
During the last week, we present different approaches for monitoring and evaluating HWTS. Case studies and guest lecturers, we highlight several key challenges, including the need for consistent use and field-robust measurements. The course ends with a wrap-up module, which serves as preparation for the final exam.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Villes africaines: Environnement et enjeux de développement durable (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Villes africaines: Environnement et enjeux de développement durable (Coursera)

Le cours propose une lecture de l’environnement urbain en Afrique à travers les thématiques les plus pertinentes pour mesurer le niveau de développement d’un pays : eau et vie urbaine, assainissement (eaux usées et pluviales), gestion des déchets solides, agriculture urbaine. Après avoir analysé les différents enjeux de celles-ci, nous aborderons les liens entre environnement urbain et santé.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Oceanography: a key to better understand our world (Coursera) Coursera
University of Barcelona,Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing - FNOB

Oceanography: a key to better understand our world (Coursera)

The course for a round the world regatta leads the boats through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, Southern Indian and South Pacific Oceans. On their voyage, the skippers come across a large variety of oceanographic situations: strong currents, floating ice, wave formations of every kind and biological diversity. In this course the student will learn about the foundations of the science of oceanography. You'll learn about the classification and formation of the ocean floor, how current sea satellite analysis systems work, the chemistry of the oceans and the processes that led to its formation.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems (Coursera) Coursera
University of Manchester

Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems (Coursera)

Our course explores what can be done to solve the complex problem that half a billion people worldwide do not have improved water supplies and two billion do not have improved sanitation. We look forward to you joining us. We want to help you develop the skills you need to address this major global challenge of the 21st century.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Sustentabilidad y Economías Sociales (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de Chile

Sustentabilidad y Economías Sociales (Coursera)

En los últimos años el fenómeno del Emprendimiento con Sentido, la Innovación Social y la relevancia de la Sustentabilidad dan cuenta de la imperiosa necesidad de modernizar los esquemas de gestión de empresas y adaptarlos a una realidad cambiante, modificando paradigmas hacia las nuevas economías enfocadas en un desarrollo sustentable.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Wilderness First Aid - Environmental Emergencies (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Wilderness First Aid - Environmental Emergencies (Coursera)

In this course, students will learn about environmental injuries, how to treat them, and what conditions require evacuation. This will include animal bites/stings, and temperature-related emergencies, such as those that are heat or cold-related, lightning, altitude, and drowning. Students will also learn about important aspects of camp hygiene, and what to do in the event that evacuation is needed.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Water: an essential resource (Coursera) Coursera
Politecnico di Milano

Water: an essential resource (Coursera)

This MOOC wants to communicate the challenge of protecting water and then human health from chemical and microbiological hazards, as well as the multidisciplinarity required by this challenge by providing some key elements about water quality, protection and remediation, sustainable drinking water production, online monitoring, and finally advanced computing for process control.

Oct 19th 2026
3 Weeks
Introduction to the Arctic: Climate (Coursera) Coursera
University of Alberta

Introduction to the Arctic: Climate (Coursera)

The University of Alberta, the University of Tromso and the University of the Arctic invite you to explore this four week course that examines the environment and climate of the circumpolar North. This course is the result of an international collaboration and provides you with an insight into our planet's North. Following an overview of regional geography, we will focus on the cryosphere (ice), as well as the atmosphere and ocean of the region.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
The Great Sustainability Transition: Global challenges, Local actions (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

The Great Sustainability Transition: Global challenges, Local actions (Coursera)

Drastic shifts are needed. Get the knowledge and skills to take local action. Setting the stage: Why do we care? Learn about sustainability and staying with the environmental boundaries of our planet. Understand the effects of growing affluence and population growth, and the key challenges we are facing. By participating in the local action exercises you learn how to influence your direct environment. The activities are diverse, from participating in a citizen science project to having discussions with people on climate change. From determining biodiversity around you, to understanding the environmental impacts of one of your meals.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Paths to a Sustainable Future (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Paths to a Sustainable Future (Coursera)

This MOOC is an introduction to social and ecological transition. Ecological issues (climate change, loss in biodiversity, scarcity of resources, etc.) and their social consequences (growing inequalities, poverty, conflicts, forced migrations, etc.) call upon us to promote a paradigm shift, to redesign our production and consumption patterns, as well as our lifestyles. This is what transition is all about.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
ODS y sostenibilidad: una mirada desde los colegios (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de los Andes

ODS y sostenibilidad: una mirada desde los colegios (Coursera)

En este curso veremos cómo podemos generar cambios y transformaciones (a nivel individual, organizacional y social) para la sostenibilidad desde la educación formal y no-formal. Partiremos del concepto de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) como un marco potente para generar reflexiones críticas, que nos lleven a generar acciones colectivas desde la escuela en pro de la sostenibilidad.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Unravelling solutions for Future Food problems (Coursera) Coursera
Universiteit Utrecht

Unravelling solutions for Future Food problems (Coursera)

Our society depends on the availability of food and accessibility to it. According to the United Nations nearly 800 million people are hungry and on the other hand, over 650 million people are obese. While many people in developing countries experience food shortage, in industrialized countries people are throwing food away. These facts show how paradoxical and complex the world’s food problem is.

Nov 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks