Implementing household water treatment interventions: actors and factors for success

Despite the years of effort of organizations to scale up household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) practices, HWTS practices are yet to achieve scale. PATH, UNICEF, and the Water Institute at UNC Chapel Hill collaborated to carry out a study aimed at determining the factors relevant to scaling up and sustaining HWTS practices. The main objective of the study was to produce useful and practical tools that could be used by organizations to effectively plan and implement HWTS interventions. This goal was achieved by interviewing HWTS practitioners with experience in dozens of countries and a variety of settings. The study identified six dimensions of a program essential to scale-up and sustainability: (1) Capacity building; (2) Resource availability; (3) Standards, regulations & legislation; (4) Integration and collaboration; (5) User preferences; and (6) Market strategies. Assessment tools were also developed to guide organizations in planning and implementing HWTS interventions.