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Safe Water System (SWS) - What Don't We Know About
the Safe Water System?
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How to sustain use for the long
term
Past experience has shown that high rates of SWS
use are achievable in the short term or during disease
outbreaks. However, we do not know yet how well
use of the SWS will be maintained over the long
term. Through the CARE/CDC Health Initiative (CCHI),
we are currently studying the impact of community
mobilization and social marketing on adoption of
the SWS, and we will monitor continued use.
How to ensure economic sustainability
Maintaining long-term use of the SWS requires sufficient
resources to continue project activities such as
social marketing, promotion, and product distribution.
Full cost recovery is desirable, and attainable
in some of our project countries (Nigeria, Kenya),
but in other countries if the prices of products
are too high, target populations may not have access
to them. If full cost recovery is not possible,
donor support will be necessary for continuation
of SWS projects. CDC is currently monitoring the
economic progress of ongoing projects.
Optimal mix of SWS with other
appropriate technologies (e.g., settling, filtering,
flocculating)
While the SWS is effective in improving the quality
of water from a variety of sources, there are times
when additional strategies are needed to augment
the effectiveness of point-of-use treatment and
safe storage. For example, some communities have
very turbid water that must be filtered or allowed
to settle before chlorination. CDC, in collaboration
with public and private sector partners, is evaluating
other promising point-of-use technologies that could
be used in combination with chlorination.
Optimal behavior change methods
One of the greatest challenges for SWS projects
is encouraging people to modify their behavior to
use the SWS on a regular basis. CDC, CARE, and PSI
are continually evaluating promising behavior change
methodologies such as community mobilization, one-on-one
communication, and working with health clinics,
religious leaders, and community organizations to
encourage correct and consistent use..
Effectiveness in making stored
water safe for infant formula
HIV-infected mothers in the developing world are
increasingly choosing to feed their infants with
formula instead of breast milk to reduce the risk
of HIV transmission from mother to infant through
breast milk. However, many water sources in developing
countries are fecally contaminated (Dunne,
et al, 2001 
PDF 613KB). As a result, formula made with
unsafe water may cause serious diarrheal illness
in children receiving it. In Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire,
CDC completed a study investigating the quality
of stored water used for infant feeding and formula,
and was planning an evaluation of the effectiveness
of the SWS in helping mothers give their children
microbiologically safe infant formula. The study
was postponed due to political instability.
If you have experience with any of
these or related issues, we would like to hear about
it. Please email us at safewater@cdc.gov.
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Date:
August 24, 2005
Content source: National Center for Infectious Diseases
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