Thematic group on water quality
RAS-HON’s thematic group on water quality promotes drinking water systems that distribute safe water which do not affect public health and that allow appropriate mechanisms for collection, treatment and disposal of waste water so that their discharges do not affect the environment and public health.
Background and achievements of the thematic group on water quality
This thematic group was created after a series of workshops on the theme organised by several organisations, including the Interamerican Association of Sanitary Engineering (AIDIS) and the Honduran chapter of the PAHO/WHO.
Water safety plans in rural Honduras: a guide for the water committee
In follow-up to the original guide that was developed for technical staff who assist water committees in developing water safety plans, the water quality thematic group of RAS-HON in Honduras worked on summarised version of the guide with illustrations, focusing directly the members of the water committees.
A guide for the implementation of water safety plans in rural Honduras
In Honduras there are currently around 5.800 water supply systems operated by water committees (in Spanish the Juntas Administradores de Agua – JAA) in the rural areas, which account for 73% coverage of rural areas.
Despite a comprehensive legal framework for the water and sanitation sector, this has not led to a major impact on the improvement of service delivery when it comes to water quality. The water committees have not managed to operationalize the legislation, which means that 88% of these systems do not have a hypochlorinator in place and only 15% of the systems supply disinfected water.
In scope of this situation the thematic group on water quality of the RAS-HON has developed a guide on water safety plans. This guide is geared towards the implementation of these plans in rural areas in Honduras. It is directed to all persons who seek guidance and want to strengthen the management of the water committees to ensure sustainability and provision of adequate drinking water services and basic sanitation. The guide explains which strategies to apply to implement a water safety plan and shows examples illustrating how water safety plans have been implemented in some rural communities in Honduras.
The guide has been validated by the so-called TOMs, technicians in operation and maintenance in Honduras and staff from various organisations has been trained in the use of this guide. The thematic group is currently working on a summarised version of the guide with illustrations, focused directly on the members of the water committees.
The guide is in Spanish, and can be downloaded below.
