Household water treatment in the context of the SDGs Fiorella Polo, WASH Advisor , UNICEF HQ HTWS Network Meeting, UNC , 10 October What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”?

Water safety: Challenges and opportunities ahead 6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all Indicator 6.1.1 Population using safely managed drinking water services Definition: Population using an improved drinking water source which is: located on premises, available when needed, and free of faecal and priority chemical contamination What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”? Accessibility Availability Quality

Safely Managed Drinking Water What is water safety and why should water safety be a priority? Water safety is an “ unfinished business” from the MDGs: “Our sector focused on providing “improved sources”, but this did not always translate into providing “ really safe water”; (Cecilia, UNICEF HQ) Water safety is now a priority in the SDGs: Safely managed water is the new indicator for SDG 6.1; Water safety means: ensuring water is free from harmful pathogens and elevated What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”?

Progressive realization MDG/SDG Service ladder Progressive realization Monitoring ladder SDG 6.1 Safely managed drinking water On premises, available when needed and meets water quality standards All developed countries, and some developing countries MDG continuity Basic water Improved facility within 30 minutes round trip collection time Most developing and some developed countries report Unimproved water Facility which does not protect against contamination Most developing and some developed countries report No service Surface water All countries report (applies to developing countries) Developing Developed Safely-managed drinking water is the top level for the proposed service ladder, running from no service to s-m This ladder aims to capture progressive realisation of the HRWS It is also a monitoring ladder, increasing sophistication of monitoring allows countries to track higher levels of service - in many cases these may happen in tandem.

Implications of new indicators for Country X Let’s look at the policy implication for Country X, which achieved the MDG target, nearly the entire population – 98% - lives in households which use improved drinking-water facilities. [Click]. Only 3% of those facilities take more than 30 minutes to collect water, so we would see 95% of the population meeting the new definition of a «basic drinking-water service» - (an improved source within 30 minutes). [Click]. We don’t have much data on «availability when needed» but if we assume that all piped water supplies (7% of the population) are intermittent and assume that all boreholes deliver water when needed, we estimate 89% meet this part of the definition. Of course those are both crude assumptions [Click]. Most of these supplies, in both urban and rural areas, are boreholes, and most are on premises. So 74% of the population would meet the «on premises» part of the safely managed indicator. [Click]. However if we adjust that 98% for water quality, we find that only 58% of sources are free from faecal contamination. [Click]. This preliminary analysis shows that total population meeting the new higher service threshold of safely managed drinking water services would be around 58%. Microbial contamination at the sources is what drives the numbers. By the way, the survey found that piped water supplies were more heavily contaminated than tubewells, so as piped water coverage increases, safely managed drinking-water services could actually go down, unless water quality is improved in the piped systems.

Where will the data come from? The focus will be on safety at source Criterion Household Surveys Regulatory authorities Availability Is water always available when needed from your main drinking water source? Reported hours of service (piped) Accessibility Is the main drinking water source located in the dwelling yard or plot? Reported household connections (piped supplies) Quality Testing for fecal (and chemical) contamination in household surveys Compliance with national standards, WSPs Affordability?

UNICEF will also support evidence generation at HH level

UNICEF will also support evidence generation at HH level “Integrating water quality modules in MICS/ LSMS/ DHS and other national household surveys can be more cost effective than separate surveys” “These modules combine data at source and data at household level and piggy-back on a statistically solid methodology” These surveys can be a powerful tool to prompt action/ programmatic response as well as a toll to measure progress against the SDG every 3-4 years. What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”?

Field Kits for HH surveys Arsenic Portable kit Three chemicals Results in 10 minutes E. coli, Other Coliforms Portable filtration Pre-poured testing plates Incubate 24 hours

There is a momentum for advocacy at national and global level “Ride on the national momentum created by the SDGs. E.g. In Indonesia the President will soon issue a decree on SDGs: we are going to present results on water safety to SDG committee ” Global platforms such as Sanitation & Water for All: for example “include Water Safety in plans and commitments to be presented at next High Level Meeting” What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”?

WHO & UNICEF support a shift towards risk management Health Based targets Public health context and outcomes Water safety plans What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”? Surveillance

Water Safety Plans are credited with cost-effectiveness Risks analysis Water safety plans Control measures development Monitoring of barriers What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”? From catchment To source To household

Which role for Network? Risks analysis Barriers development HTWS as one of many barriers: Specific circumstances - Limited timeframe Join efforts at advocacy level? Risks analysis Emergency? Barriers development Water safety plans Focus on HH? - Promote evidence Promote behaviour Beyond product Safe transport / storage Monitoring of barriers Estend to all treatment? Inclcuding at source? What do we mean by “safely-managed drinking water”? From catchment To source To household