Professionalizing Drinking Water Service Delivery in Small Towns of Haiti: Lessons from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in the Sud Region (EPAR-Sud)
- The project improved access to drinking water in benefiting communities through regular chlorination and increased household connections.
- The public-private partnership model showed promise but requires more time to assess its sustainability.
- Professional operators need more contractual security and support to improve their financial and management skills.
- Conflicts between professional operators and user associations (CAEPAs) need to be resolved through better regulation and formalization of roles.
- Inaccurate assumptions about water resources led to shortages, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and source protection.
This field note documents the experiences and lessons learned from the implementation of the World Bank-financed component of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (EPAR) in the Sud region of Haiti. The EPAR project, managed by the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA), aimed to reform the drinking water and sanitation sector by constructing or rehabilitating water schemes in small towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. The project introduced a management model integrating domestic private sector participation, deconcentrated agencies to supervise service providers, and volumetric billing schemes. The note examines the impact of this approach on access to water, sustainability of services, and the roles of various stakeholders, including user associations, professional water operators, and regional offices.
How to cite
World Bank, 2014, Professionalizing Drinking Water Service Delivery in Small Towns of Haiti: Lessons from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in the Sud Region (EPAR-Sud), accessed via HaitiDocs, https://www.haitidocs.org/doc/wb-2014-professionalizing-drinking-water