Learnings from Farta Woreda's chlorine dispenser technology

Published on: 29/03/2023

Recently, IRC facilitated a learning exchange visit between South Ari Woreda (District) Water Mine and Energy Office and Amhara Regional State, Farta Woreda Water Mine and Energy Office. Farta Woreda is one of the three woredas in the Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) Sustainable WASH Program (SWP) financed by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Farta Woreda's water quality treatment technology and approach captured the attention of the learning exchange visit participants. Farta Woreda is using on the spot water treatment methods using liquid chlorine dispenser kits. The woreda implemented this system for 259 water schemes in 9 kebeles. It is fully operated by the community, and it is mainly managed by the water users committee.
According to the Woreda Water Mine and Energy Office, the dispenser kits were provided by the Millennium Water Alliance and the awareness creation, liquid chlorine supply and installation of the kit were facilitated with the support of CARE Ethiopia (a MWA member) together with the Woreda Water Offices.

Saytwel rural water users committee from Awuzet Kebele has been using this technology since mid-2022, and they said that their life has been improving after the installation of this technology. Water borne diseases are significantly reduced and they have become healthier and more productive. They also mentioned that the technology is user friendly and simple.   

 Well installed chlorine dispenser kit              Photo by Nebiyu Gashawbeza                                                         

 How does it work ?

Mulu Asmare, a member of the Saytwel water users committee stated that they are using a hand-dug well and the water is pumped from a source at a depth of 30-metres. When the water scheme is open for service, she washes the plastic container or other water collecting equipment at her house or on the spot. During our visit, we saw her pouring three drops (3ml, according to Frehiwot Dejene, Woreda Water Office social promotion expert) of the treatment chemical into her container which she shook for treatment. Then she fills the plastic container with water and after 30 minutes the water was fully treated and ready for drinking. According to Yale Lakew, chairperson of the rural water users committee the whole community has been instructed on how to use it. There are also two people selected to work on additional community awareness creation activities, chlorine refiling and minor maintenance of the kit.

Life was difficult for the community prior to the installation of the chlorine dispenser.“Before the installation of the chlorine dispenser, we were treating the water scheme manually, using powder chlorine, water filters, chlorine tablets and other methods with the support of the kebele health extension workers.  But the treatment was not enough to kill parasites, bacteria, or viruses and people had been falling ill. We were usually drinking rusty and unclean water and spending extra finances on cement and sand for sealing the top slab after treatment”, said Mr. Yale Lakew.

There are always limitations to technologies and services. Farta Woreda has 1063 water schemes and there are water user committees that are installing the technology using their own budget. But the import of the chlorine dispenser kit has to pass through international procurement procedures and the kit is not available on the market, therefore it is not easy to scale it up .

There is a liquid chlorine supplier in Bahir Dar Town, the capital of the region, and as it is around 130 KMs away, it is not easy to purchase it. When the users run out of chlorine, they need to travel long distances to collect water from other schemes. When there is no chlorine available, the scheme has to stop providing a service, unless they use other treatment methods.

Saytwel rural water user committee members believe that liquid chlorine is a bit expensive. For the first 6 months, CARE Ethiopia had been providing chlorine for all water schemes that have a dispenser kit, but now the users are starting to allocate some budget for it from their monthly tariff. However, Frehiwot Dejene, Water Resources Development Expert of Farta Woreda Water and Energy Office, said thatthe community thinks it is expensive because they do not have the experience of paying for water treatment”. Liquid chlorine costs around 150 birr and lasts for six months.

South Ari Woreda has been trying out different methods of water treatment, such as household chlorine treatment for single use, liquid or powder chlorine, chlorine tablets, and treatment campaigns during outbreaks. But the woreda was not trying to implement such a simple, user friendly,  and effective solution on the spot and at household level.

Mr. Yohannis Melti, South Ari Woreda Water Office head said, “This is the best experience that helps both service providers and user communities to get clean water at the point of consumption and at household level This is the best lesson for our woreda and its application needs the engagement of all actors to support it.’’

If the technology is scaled up with sufficient supply and awareness creation, the user communities will start contributing money to it. From this visit, we learned that it is not easy to convince the community to use the technology in the woreda, but gradually the community has started to understand its benefits and has embraced it.