SHI: Safe Drinking Water for 20,000 Rural Families

“We know that paying for the chlorine tablets is worth it. We can feel the difference!”

Socorro is one of the 750 beneficiaries of our water chlorination program in the community of La Reforma, El Almendro in the state of Río San Juan in southern Nicaragua. She and her husband, Luis, have lived in their neighborhood, La Reforma, for more than 40 years. She tells us that before the water was chlorinated, her family fell victim to constant stomach ailments from the unsanitized water they drank.

With a detached look in her eyes, she pauses for a few seconds, remembering that the water that came from the faucet was often dirty and foul-smelling. She worried about her family and especially the health of her grandchildren. Socorro recalls that many of the families in the neighborhood requested a meeting with ASODEAL, the group tasked with protecting and overseeing water. ASODEAL had recently hired a new water administrator who had heard about other neighborhoods in the El Almendro municipality having success with the CTI-8 chlorinators. The water supply in Socorro and Luis’ community at the time had a high contamination risk, so ASODEAL deemed that a chlorinator was the best option.  He reached out to Self-Help International and asked our help to bring the CTI-8 chlorinator to La Reforma, which we were happy to do!

Today, the 750 people who live in 150 homes in La Reforma are enjoying safe, high-quality water thanks to the CTI-8 chlorinator. Every month the community uses roughly 15 chlorine tablets - much higher than average - because the water is so murky, but the community members say it’s worth the cost for the peace of mind it brings them.
“In the mornings, we taste chlorine in the water,” Socorro says.  “Sometimes less, sometimes more, but we can always taste it a bit. And that lets me feel secure that our water is being disinfected every day."

She tells us, “The children are protected and they have learned that a little taste of chlorine in the water is worth their good health. Now, we no longer suffer from stomach pains and we feel great. The water is so much better than before. We do pay a bit more for water service - for example, in my home we pay 150 córdobas ($3 USD)  for our monthly water use. But we know that paying for the chlorine tablets is worth it. We can feel the difference!”