Numerous challenges affect the water and water treatment sector. Simply building infrastructures is not enough to improve living conditions. It is much more important to introduce good hygienic habits. The competencies of the local authorities who will have to manage the new water supply systems should also be improved.

After Haiti, Nicaragua is still the second poorest country in Latin America. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 48% of the Nicaraguan population lives below the poverty threshold; 1.5 million people are undernourished and the infant mortality rate stands at 31 deaths/1000 live births (in Switzerland: 4.4 deaths/1000 live births).

Methodology used for AGUASAN projects
Ever since the SDC began coordinating AGUASAN projects to supply drinking water in Nicaragua, the main focus has been on the poorest regions of the country, generally rural regions where water supply coverage is below the national average.

Once a municipality has decided to set up an AGUASAN project, the first step is to determine what water sources may be used to provide the area with drinking water. Water sources may be underground or on land. In the first case, water is pumped into wells; in the second case, the aim is to protect the water source from outside contamination.

Depending on the location or type of extraction, water may be temporarily stored in a reservoir or channelled directly to where the families live. In some cases, the families need to go to the source and bring back the water to their homes. AGUASAN projects are nevertheless designed in such a way as to reduce the distance between the water reservoir and users to less than half a kilometre.

AGUASAN projects also take into account the fact that Nicaragua is highly exposed to natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding and landslides). Disaster mitigation measures are always an inherent part of any AGUASAN project. Beyond affording protection to populations, such measures are intended to take all factors into account that may damage or destroy infrastructures.

Before it is used, all fresh water is treated with Hydrochloric acid or exposed to UV radiation (i.e. transparent plastic bottles are filled with water and left in the sun, thus inactivating pathogenic agents).

Community hygiene

Another objective of AGUASAN projects is to improve the hygienic conditions of the poorest inhabitants. This mainly entails helping the populations to properly dispose of raw sewage and showing them good hygienic habits. Building latrines and sceptic tanks is one means of reaching the first objective. The stakeholders first take part in the construction phase and then learn how to maintain the structures. After that, courses and home visits are organised to teach people good hygienic habits.

Improving national and local competencies

The SDC also seeks to include AGUASAN projects in the political and social lives of the regions involved. This means improving the competencies of municipal authorities so that they will be able to design and carry out water supply and treatment projects. In order to set up their own AGUASAN project, municipalities must be willing to pay 30% of the project costs. The SDC for its part will pay 60% of project costs. The remaining 10% of the costs are paid by the population. It is essential that inhabitants take ownership of the project, help to maintain infrastructures and accept to pay a fair price for services rendered to them.

Project impact

• Since the first AGUASAN project was launched in 1982, it is estimated that over 285,000 people now have suitable and sustainable access to drinking water supplies. An additional 50,000 more people are expected to enjoy similar conditions by the end of 2011. Over 100,000 people have access to latrines.
• By teaching people to regularly wash their hands with drinking water, the number of cases of respiratory illness and diarrhoea has dropped by 39% and 43% respectively.
• Doctors working in regions covered by an AGUASAN project have reported a dramatic decrease in infant mortality rates and cases of intestinal illnesses, which used to be major problems.
• Nicaraguan companies and workers have benefited from procurement and employment contracts during infrastructure construction phases.
• Highly reliable hydro-geological maps of Nicaragua are now available.
• The SDC has helped Nicaragua to enact legislation and devise national water treatment strategies. The SDC has also been involved in the creation or improvement of water supply and treatment institutions as well as in service decentralisation.

Future outlook

The SDC feels that its work with Nicaraguan partners needs to continue in order to improve water treatment conditions in numerous municipalities. Eventually, the national and local authorities should be able to establish drinking water and community hygiene projects on their own.