Access to drinking water in rural and developing regions remains one of the main global challenges of the 21st century, as evidenced by the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. In many communities, especially in small towns and rural areas, coverage of water supply services is partial, unstable or non-existent, aggravating the social and health vulnerabilities of populations already marked by territorial and economic exclusion.
In this scenario, the discussion on low-cost technologies, appropriate to the local context, which make it possible to guarantee the human right to drinking water, technical and institutional limitations, is becoming more central. Point-of-use solutions, decentralized systems and the use of natural resources have been explored in various parts of the world as effective and sustainable alternatives.
The international scientific literature offers a significant set of well-documented experiences that reinforce these premises. Thompson (2015) and Sombei et al. (2025) highlight ceramic filters, biosand filters and solar disinfection as effective solutions in rural areas of Africa. Chaturvedi and Dave (2012) point to the combination of aeration and filtration as a viable alternative for removing iron from water.
Nayar and Patel (2021) and Jungan et al., (2022) demonstrate the potential of aquatic plants and bamboo biochar as natural purification strategies. Wijen et al. (2014), in turn, draw attention to the role of decentralized and low-cost monitoring with the use of opem source technologies, expanding community empowerment. In Brazil, the municipality of Tanguá, located in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, presents an emblematic case. Although it has a public water supply network, several rural locations and outlying neighborhoods suffer from intermittent or even no water supply, contamination from alternative sources and the absence of effective public solutions.
The local reality makes it necessary to think about supply and treatment models that are accessible, sustainable and suited to the specific characteristics of the area. Given this context, this study aims to answer the following question: What lowcost technologies have been used for the management and supply of water resources in small towns or developing regions, and what social, health and environmental impacts have been reported in their implementation?
Based on a systematic review of international literature and an analysis of local potential, the study aims to contribute to the design of replicable strategies that can support water planning in municipalities such as Tanguá, with a view to universalizing the right to water in an equitable, participatory and sustainable manner.
This systematic review analyzed a diverse set of studies dealing with low-cost technologies applied to water management in contexts of socio-economic vulnerability, seeking to understand which solutions have been implemented and what impacts have been reported. In general, the studies converge on the need for alternatives adapted to the local context, with easy maintenance, low implementation costs and high potential for community acceptance. Thompson (2015) highlights, based on a case study from northern Ghana, the efficiency of ceramic filters, sand filters and solar disinfection as technologies which, despite their operational limitations, adhere strongly to local conditions.
This finding is reinforced by Chaturvedi and Dave (2012), who analyze the removal of iron from drinking water in rural regions, pointing out that the combination of aeration and slow filtration can be efficient and economically viable. In the same vein, McGarry (1980) and Diamant (1984) review pioneering experiences with appropriate technologies in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, such as lowcost hand pumps, compostable latrines and the integration of sanitation and food production. Both emphasize the importance of local production, community training and health education as conditions for success.
Conclusão com pontos principais
Based on the systematic analysis of the studies reviewed, it is possible to provide a well-founded answer to the question addressed in this research – various low-cost technologies have been successfully applied in small towns and developing regions for the treatment and supply of drinking water, including ceramic filters (Thompson, 2015; Sombei et al, 2025), biosand filters (Sombei et al., 2025), solar disinfection (Thompson, 2015), household chlorination (Chaturvedi and Dave, 2012; Sombei et al., 2025), bamboo biochar (Jungan et al., 2022), phytoremediation with water hyacinth (Naya and Patel, 2021) and open source monitoring devices (Wijen et al., 2014).
The impacts reported in the studies go beyond health aspects, such as reducing contaminants and outbreaks of waterborne diseases (Nhapi, 2015), and also include social aspects, such as community participation (McGarry, 1980; Diamant, 1984), and environmental aspects, such as using local materials and reducing the ecological footprint (Jungan et al., 2022; Nayar and Patel, 2021). This research is of particular relevance to the municipality of Tanguá (RJ), where the rural population faces recurring difficulties with water supply in rural areas. The synthesis of international evidence provides a basis for proposing solutions suited to the local context, reinforcing the need for public policies aimed at implementing appropriate technologies and training community players to ensure the sustainability of the systems. In short, the systematic review carried out here contributes to the construction of a replicable and socially just model for access to drinking water in regions of water vulnerability.
