Implementation and Expansion of Circuit Rider Supported Passive Chlorination in Piped Distribution Systems in El Salvador

SUMMARY

Cova Agua is an international non-profit organization that supports community-based management of rural water systems in Central America. Cova’s Circuit Rider support model for community-based management of passive chlorination is currently deployed across rural communities in Nicaragua and Honduras. Cova partners with community water boards to install simple passive chlorinators into existing piped networks and then provides ongoing support through routine water quality monitoring, technical assistance, and capacity building focused on operation and maintenance for chlorinators, financial management, watershed protection, and other relevant themes.

Objectives

The goal of this scoping study was to determine if it is feasible to expand Cova’s Circuit Rider-supported passive chlorination program within rural El Salvador. For additional background and motivation, see Appendix 1. Through this study we aim:

1. To compile and analyze information regarding relevant agencies, laws, and regulations supporting community-operated water systems, rural water utilities, and water treatment.
2. To evaluate the enabling factors for and barriers to implementation of Circuit Rider-supported passive chlorination in rural communities.
3. To estimate the costs associated with implementation of Circuit Rider-supported passive chlorination.
4. To assess the existing chlorine supply chain (availability, quality, cost).
5. To explore opportunities for collaboration with USAID funded and other rural water programs.
6. To identify opportunities for implementation research on circuit-rider supported passive chlorination.

Methods

Between June and August 2024, Cova conducted a scoping study to evaluate the feasibility of expanding Circuit Rider-supported passive chlorination programs in El Salvador, including virtual and in-person interviews with Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) specialists in El Salvador. We met with three non-profit implementing organizations, the El Salvador Water Authority (ASA), two local commercial entities, and four rural communities to conduct site visits and 57 key informant interviews. Our scoping study also evaluated opportunities for collaboration and implementation research with USAID-funded water development programs. Through site visits, desk research, and key informant interviews, we found opportunities for collaboration that are favored by the changing institutional environment in El Salvador. The establishment of the El Salvador Water Authority (ASA) and the simultaneous (but unrelated) consolidation of municipalities mean that the regulatory and funding environments around water are changing rapidly, and municipal governments will likely have more funding but less personnel capacity to focus on the water sector. Therefore, we see possibilities for collaborating with both ASA and municipal governments to support and expand ongoing efforts to provide access to safely managed drinking water.

Findings

We determined that the first two questions are well-suited for testing in a new Cova context, such as El Salvador, as expansion is considered. Questions 3 and 4, while relevant in both new and existing Cova service delivery areas, are better suited for a planned randomized controlled trial in Honduras.

We noted a clearly communicated need from rural communities for expert guidance and technical assistance in the face of evolving regulations and administrative roles. We also identified arguments that many community water boards lack the technical capacity necessary to carry out operation and maintenance plans for existing water systems.

Concerning chlorination, community feedback indicates that water boards generally support chlorination as required by regulations, with only minor (and not necessarily representative) concerns; however, rural communities may need more technical support to ensure adequate chlorination. This mirrors Cova’s experience in Honduras and Nicaragua. Of possible concern is the variable and uncertain nature of the chlorine tablet supply chain in El Salvador, but one that could be mitigated through Cova’s supply chain support efforts in Honduras.

Preliminary findings from our scoping study suggest that community water boards may have a greater capacity to pay for chlorine than Honduras and Nicaragua, indicating an opportunity to manage water quality more formally than was already being done at the time of our interviews.

Finally, we highlight several research questions that could be explored through the expansion of Cova’s Circuit Rider-supported passive in-line chlorination system into El Salvador:

1. What is the effectiveness of Cova’s Circuit Rider-supported in-line chlorination model in a new context?
2. What are the possible costs of the Circuit Rider model in El Salvador and how much of the costs can be supported by community water boards and their customers?
3. How can we incentivize water boards to improve chlorination rates in communities served by Cova’s Circuit Rider model?
4. How do chlorine taste/odor detection and acceptability thresholds differ for users with prior exposure to chlorinated water versus those not consuming chlorinated water?

This report was part of the Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) project, which was supported by a cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Aquaya Institute. The contents of this post are the sole responsibility of The Aquaya Institute and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.