2. Activities

2.1 Priorities

>The Working Group on Safe Drinking Water efforts to date, have resulted in several meetings and in the formulation of several broad areas of activities for parallel progress. Each participating organization identified areas of interest and competency, and expressed its willingness to contribute to the development of a group of activities. The participating organizations formed task groups to collaborate in four broad areas outlined in the document. As a result, it is anticipated that most of the work for each area will be done by these task groups in collaboration with the countries. Each task group is led by a different organization, though some organizations participate in more than one group.

Since the beginning of the deliverations, the consensus was that the focus should be on the provision of microbiologically safe water to the population of the Americas as a priority, and to determine strategies that are most likely to yield results. It was, however, recognized that specific countries and communities may be exposed to specific chemical health risks that may warrant consideration.

The four topics of attention for participating organizations are shown below.

1. Water policies, legislation and standards: focusing on the development of national policies for better water quality management and the adoption of drinking water quality guidelines and standards.

2. Promotion of technologies to increase access to safe water and, in particular, disinfection of water.

3. Improvement of drinking water quality surveillance and control.

4. Promotion of community participation and education.

It was further recognized that any plan of action should take cognizance of all existing relevant projects or initiatives, and involve all organizations at the regional, subregional and national level to the maximum. The participation of non governmental organizations and the private sector was seen as crucial to the achievements of the expected result.

The following table summarizes the four selected areas of attention and the distribution of task and role assigned to respective agencies: 

Table 1
Participating Organizations and Their Roles

2.2 Consultation on Safe Drinking Water Quality - Moving Forward

Before finalizing the preliminary proposals for a plan of action, the Working Group on Safe Drinking Water organized a consultation with a broad based group of sector and country professionals. The objective of this consultation was to develop practical approaches to meeting the Working Group's terms of reference. To this end the Consultation was intended to focus on the word Practical, and through the discussions to identify achievable goals, strategies, and approaches. This consultation, was held at PAHO Headquarters in Washington on 29-30 January 1998.

The Consultation on Safe Drinking Water was successful in bringing together sixty five participants to discuss issues related to lack of access and quality of water. The participants included staff from the collaborating agencies of the Working Group, sector professionals of several countries of Latin America, officials of regional and subregional water organizations such as CAPRE for Central America, the Caribbean Water And Wastewater Association, the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute, ANDESAPA for the Andean Countries. Representatives from the private sector involved in water equipment procurement and financing, and various public and private organizations also participated.

The first part of the Consultation identified areas for coordinating technical cooperation. Sector experts discussed the objectives and strategies for each area. The remainder of the Workshop was devoted to discussing specific country and subregional perspectives in plenary discussions. Group discussions were designed to refine practical strategies for each area to come a limited number of activities.

In view of the objectives of this consultation, discussions were focused on issues that will define the following:

• practical strategies the Working Group on Safe Drinking Water should follow in the different areas;

• effective approaches for improving community participation;

• low cost and low maintenance methods for achieving disinfection in field conditions; innovative approaches to achieving water quality surveillance; workable approaches for developing new water quality policies, laws, and regulations;

• identification of additional organizations (including international, in-country, and regional agencies, NGOs, etc.) that may participate in this Working Group or partnerships, and their role; and

• practical strategies to promote coordination between agencies including the organization of a partnership for microbiologically safe water.

The following section summarizes the consensus reached by the participants which should provide guidance to the political leaders of the Region, and the agencies, and to give impetus to yield the desired results of improving drinking water quality.

2.3 Water Quality Policies, Legislation and Standards

Task Manager: PAHO
Participating Organizations: OAS, USEPA, AIDIS

The objective is to support the development of national water policies and legislation that will increase, and accelerate access to drinking water, and improve its quality and the adoption of national water quality standards in line with the WHO Drinking Water Quality Guidelines. The following issues were considered important:

Integration of water quality in national policies and development plans; legislation for protecting water sources and improving drinking water quality; development or adoption of national water quality standards in line with WHO Guidelines or consensus standards; development of the institutional capability water agencies to formulate national programs for water sources protection and water quality control.

Close collaboration with OAS and other agencies dealing with the development of national policies and legislation is required. Potential partners at the national level include regulatory agencies, AIDIS national chapters, national water quality associations. Recommendations will be made to national policy makers on the necessary policies and legislation and adoption of standards, for drinking water based on the preliminary findings in each country.

The WHO Drinking Water Quality Guidelines will be used to facilitate discussions on the relevant issues in the countries, and on a regional basis through national and regional seminars, to obtain consensus on guideline values and parameters to be considered in national standards.

2.3.1 Activities Proposed

1. The consultation endorses the drafting of a White Paper on water policies, legislation, standards, and management including minimum criteria to be considered in water legislation. The objective is to assess the effectiveness of existing pieces of water quality legislation to determine the minimum requirement for effective legislation to protect drinking water quality at the tap. This would form a template to be used for model legislation. It would be possible to draw from one or two countries that have successful programs using their legislation to derive the model legislation.

2. Conduct regional workshops on guidelines or standards for drinking water.

3. Once model legislation and guidelines to implement it are developed, increase the awareness of high-level government decision makers regarding the importance of safe drinking water and the importance of moving this legislation forward. This would be accomplished by supporting collaborations between NGOs and others who would then lobby to promote this information among key administrative decision makers, legislators, and others, emphasizing the need to motivate people to increase the demand for reform. 

4. Conduct workshops in the Region on writing legislation and regulations in countries that are interested, that is, writing legislation that would meet the legal requirements of that country and writing regulations that would incorporate the more technical aspects.

2.4 Improving Access to Safe Water and Promotion of Disinfection

Task Manager: USAID
Partners: UNICEF, OAS, WB, IDB

This is the most visible activity because it relates directly to the objective of expanding the coverage of treated and disinfected water, particularly in rural and identified high risks areas, including those inhabited by indigenous population. The emphasis will initially be on small systems. However, attention will be paid to designing special strategies for large metropolitan areas where the provision of water of adequate quality is found to be more difficult and expensive because of water sources pollution. A "Partnership for Microbiologically Safe Water" could help identify major problem areas and provide tools and technical assistance for water quality improvement. It would also help mobilize institutional and human resource. International agencies (IDB, World Bank, USAID, CIDA, PAHO, NSF, UNICEF), non-governmental organizations, and professional associations (AIDIS, AWWA), could join in this effort for maximum impact at the country level.

For this effort, safe drinking water is defined as microbiologically safe drinking water. The WHO Drinking Water Quality Guidelines are used as needed for working definitions of terms, like access. Activities should focus upon the determination of adequate standards for safe drinking water, which may be less than those promulgated by WHO, yet still achievable by low cost/low maintenance treatment options, and customized into the Latin America and the Caribbean context.

2.4.1 Activities Proposed:

1. Develop an evaluation component to innovative disinfection projects. This would include technical help in protocol development and funding of evaluation activities. Also, conduct several studies to visibly demonstrate the immediate benefits of installation and operation of disinfection practices in water systems in the Americas. Use the results to encourage increased use of disinfection.

2. Develop a compendium of activities and technologies being carried out or planned in the Americas that are aimed at disinfection practices to produce biologically safe drinking water. Use CEPIS and CEHI through their internet system.

3. Develop a practical best practices manual most appropriate for operators in rural areas, including a listing of training opportunities.

4. Establish a revolving fund for the purchase of disinfection-related drinking water equipment, with the expressed purpose of increasing private sector participation in the provision of safe drinking water. Several successful examples exist after which this fund could be modeled. Would it be a series of national or regional funds, or one general fund for the hemisphere? drinking water. Several successful examples exist after which this fund could be modeled. Would it be a series of national or regional funds, or one general fund for the hemisphere?

5. Develop a network for communicating authoritative information on water quality and health issues for the public

2.5 Drinking Water Quality Surveillance and Control

Task Manager:        USEPA

Partners:                NSF International, PAHO

Surveillance is the continuous and vigilant public health assessment and overview of the safety and acceptability of drinking water supplies. Control refers to the group of activities immplemented for public water supply with the objective to obtain and maintain the potability of water.

Education and awareness are to be integrated throughout the action items identified. Specific actions to ensure community participation include the development of institutional mechanisms that allow communities to work together to take actions concerning external threats to the quality of their source water and the development of programs to promote public awareness and education on issues relating to drinking water health effects, surveillance and control.

2.5.1 Recommendations for National and Regional Program

1) Engineering assessment

• Integrate sanitary surveys into established water quality surveillance and control programs, with consideration of the specific conditions (e.g., human and financial resources) in various regions of individual countries.

  - Provide training on how to conduct on-site inspection and   evaluation of all  conditions (i.e, relating to the source   treatment, and distribution  ystem) and practices in the water   supply system.

• Strengthen operational quality control programs of water producers.

  -Develop specific programs that emphasize the role of adequate repair, maintenance and operational procedures of treatment systems and the distributions system.

  -Provide training on the use of physical, chemical and biological measurements for optimizing the production of safe and potable drinking water.

  -Promote use of the best available internationally accepted practices for laboratory quality assurance and quality control.

2)Physical, biological, chemical examination

Increase and improve laboratory capacity in the Region.

- Organize a network of water laboratories linked to selected water   reference laboratories.

- Develop or adopt standard methodologies for water analysis.

- Train personnel in laboratory management and evaluation.

- Develop a quality assurance program and a system for evaluating   and controlling laboratories in the Region.

3) Waterborne diseases surveillance

Enhance capacity for the identification, investigation and reporting of waterborne diseases.

- Develop guidelines and model programs for surveillance, reporting   networks and information systems.

- Conduct cost/benefit studies to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of   investing in drinking water treatment and infrastructure.

- Provide training on how to recognize and investigate waterborne   diseases.

This Area aims at developing laboratory capability in the Region and strengthening national water quality control and surveillance programs.

2.5.2 Activities Proposed

1) The organization of a network of water laboratories around selected water reference laboratories such as those of CEPIS, EPA, and NSF. Achieving this organization will entail:

• Upgrading CEPIS to a chemical and microbiological water reference laboratory, with the first emphasis focused on microbiological capabilities.

• Developing a network of support laboratories to help CEPIS with the upgrade, and to provide assistance in increasing capabilities, modifying and updating methodologies, peer reviewing, etc. Potential support laboratories could include EPA national laboratories, Environment Canada, Mexico, other countries, NSF, AWWA Research Foundation, and private utility laboratories.

• CEPIS would serve as the laboratory network center for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Regional, national, university and private laboratories could be invited to participate in the network. A board of laboratory directors would oversee and upgrade policies, upgrade training, methodologies, quality assurance and control, member laboratory performance, and the qualifications of member laboratory personnel. The board would consist of members representing the LAC Region.

2) The development or adoption of standard methodologies for water analysis and simplified methodologies for rural areas. This activity would entail:

• A study of methodologies existing worldwide. CEPIS and the network will have to decide which organizations they want to be affiliated with, thereby, determining which methodologies it will adopt.

• Identification of potential affiliations, including US laboratory associations, Canadian laboratory associations, USEPA, WHO, etc.

• Updating of methodologies, peer review, etc. by CEPIS and the network, once the methodologies to be adopted have been selected.

3) The training of personnel in laboratory management and evaluation, including in-service training for laboratory personnel in the reference laboratories. Training can be sought from a variety of sources, including the following:

• private training that CEPIS or the network would pay for;

• laboratories supporting the project;

• train-the-trainer programs; and

• organization of fellowships with supporting laboratories (e.g. AWWA-RF, Water for People, states, private water suppliers, universities, EPA, NSF).

4) Development of a quality assurance program (QC), and a system for evaluating and controlling laboratories (QA) in the Region. This program would be managed by CEPIS and developed by the network board. It would entail the following steps:

• Developing targets for improving the quality of laboratories and their data. Structures for QA/QC can be modeled after existing systems in other countries. In the US, two sources of information for developing and running a laboratory QA/QC process can be found at EPA's home page at:

www.epa.gov/ncerqa
www.rtpnc.epa.gov/html/nelac/nelac.htm

Written documents on QA/QC can also be obtained as sources for setting up a system.

• There would need to be periodic reassessment.

5) Development of guidelines and model programs for surveillance networks and information systems that permit to evaluate the quality of water. This is a long-term effort that comes into play after the network of laboratories is established and all of the above points are well underway. It would be conducted on a country-by-country basis, depending on existing or future regulations and authorities. Participation would depend on country interest and capability. The following steps are anticipated

• PAHO will continue to survey and report, through the WASAMS Program, and seek to improve quality of data in WASAMS, updating the system as appropriate.

• PAHO could make accessible on the world wide web their data base of environmental regulations in the LAC Region, as this information is important to the establishment of country surveillance of drinking water quality.

In addition, the CEPIS microbiological laboratory project would be strengthened. PAHO is currently undergoing a reorganization that will centralize the laboratory, science, and engineering environmental health support for countries of the LAC Region. PAHO has also decided to convert CEPIS into a microbiological water reference laboratory for the Region, with Environment Canada and EPA providing support to this effort. In October 1997, EPA and PAHO joined efforts through a cooperative agreement to build laboratory capacity at CEPIS and regional laboratory training courses. This cooperative agreement sets up two regional laboratory training courses and a train-the-trainers course. Additionally, the cooperative effort makes available technical assistance from the EPA laboratories as CEPIS makes the conversion and, hopefully, establishes a long-term relationship between PAHO and EPA laboratories. PAHO/CEPIS staff visited the EPA laboratories and met with their directors and other key staff in November, 1997. This visit aimed to increase familiarity between the two Organizations and their personnel, and to begin information and technical exchange.

Through a grant from Environment Canada, CEPIS will purchase necessary equipment for the conversion of CEPIS to a microbiological water reference library.

2.6. Community Participation and Education

Task Manager: UNICEF
Partners: OAS, PAHO, EHP

The recent cholera outbreak in various countries of the Region, particularly in Peru, and the persistence of numerous waterborne or water-related diseases, are evidence that water quality and environmental sanitation should be of major concern for policy makers, sector professionals, and the population as a whole. This situation poses a real challenge, particularly when one third of the population is estimated to lack access to safe drinking water and adequate means of excreta disposal. Even when safe water is available, contamination occurs either from inadequate manipulation or unsafe storage. Two of the main contributing factors are the absence of public awareness of the problem, and no real public participation to improve the situation. 

To improve water quality and achieve long-term sustainable water quality, it is essential that decision makers and the population are aware of relevant environmental health issues that affect water quality. This would require a communication strategy for water supply, adequate information, education, and public participation, as well as institutional capacity building and understanding for effective implementation of sustainable water policies, programs, and projects.

Communication is an essential requirement for water quality management to raise awareness among users of the importance of clean water and to coordinate and forge the linkages between water professionals, users, media, and the population as a whole.

2.6.1 Activities Proposed

Objective 1. Create public awareness on the importance of water quality and its relation and importance to human health.

• Compile best practices and lessons learned from social mobilization and hygiene education program actions and collect and analyze effective community participation and management experiences in the Region. This set of best practices should highlight communication strategies implemented, taking into account the context of implementation, the various means of communications, the time frame, the impact and results achieved, the limitations, and the associated costs.

• Identify, review, and select key/priority target health issues related to water quality of primary importance in the Region/country.

• Produce materials to support advocacy messages, public information and education.

• Conduct social mobilization and education campaigns, using key national or regional events such as the Inter-American Water Day, World Water Day, etc.

Objective 2. Create an enabling environment for knowledge, technology transfer, informationsharing, and capacity strengthening that would enable individuals and communities to make responsible and healthy choices.

• Prepare a compendium of appropriate, low-cost, and affordable technologies and methods for on-site water quality improvement and water source protection.
  Describe the various identified or selected technologies or methods of water treatment. Water storage devices and principles.
  
  Attention should be paid to a clear presentation of advantages, disadvantages, potential context of use or application, and limits and costs.





• Identify training or reference centers and human resources development networks to support the capacity-building process.

• Training of social and health workers to facilitate transfer at household level of technologies and methods for water quality improvement.

• Train/inform community leaders and community water associations or users associations on the health and economic implications of water quality, and methods to achieve improved water quality.

• Identify potential financial resources and mechanisms necessary for communities to move from knowledge to action.

Objective 3. Implement school hygiene education programs. School children should be seen as the primary promoters and catalysts of change within their households and their communities. Early acquisition of knowledge offers greater potential of long-term sustainable practice than does trying to overcome long-held knowledge, practices, and attitudes.

• Compile and possibly elaborate on existing material or produce generic support material on hygiene education related to water quality and environmental sanitation for various age groups that could be adapted by countries.

• Advocate for revision of school curricula for introduction of hygiene education.

• Train teachers to facilitate transfer and dissemination of curriculum content in regard to hygiene education, with full involvement of parents or guardians.

Possible Collaborating Institutions:

UNICEF, PAHO, OAS, NGOs, Health Ministries, USAID, CDC, local advertising agencies, religious leaders, local media, water agencies, CINAM, CAPRE, ANDESAPA, AIDIS, CEHI, ILPES, Universities, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and IRC.

3.  Mechanism to improve technical cooperation for increasing access and drinking water quality

3.1 Objective of Establishing a Partnership

In response to the joint decision by heads of state to develop a plan of action to prevent contamination of water resources and to assure that drinking water supplies are safe, the Working Group on Safe Drinking Water was formed. However, in order to achieve the expected results, a "Partnership for Microbiologically Safe Water" needs to be formed. The objective is to establish a partnership that can coordinate scarce financial, technological, and human, resources to meet regional coverage and health goals that depend on the consumption of microbiologically safe water. A partnership across institutional, country, and social strata may achieve rapid and better quality results when coordinated with ongoing efforts to enhance coverage.

The example of similar efforts are noteworthy.  

The Partnership for Safe Water in the United States is a voluntary joint effort formed in early 1995 to help improve the quality of America's drinking water by lessening contamination and increasing treatment plant performance. This Partnership was formed after a 1994 USEPA report highlighting violations of drinking water standards raised health risk concerns. The Partnership assists water utilities to self-evaluate plant performance, identify areas for improvement, make those improvements, and measure their effect. Four phases involved in becoming a member of the Partnership include commitment, data collection, self-evaluation, and outside assessment.

A more relevant partnership is the one formed to eliminate lead from gasoline sold in Latin America called "Eliminacion del Plomo en la Gasolina en America Latina y el Caribe". This program was developed by the World Bank's Division of Industry and Energy for Latin American countries. The program has the support of several countries that include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and USA among others. This Partnership has developed a strategy for systematically reducing consumption of leaded gasoline.

In response to recommendations of the Miami Summit of the Americas, the Partnership for Biodiversity was formed. The implementation report indicated that this Partnership has been successful in assisting the governments of the Region in four areas: developing policies and strategies; promoting public participation; building capacity and transferring knowledge; and advancing protection and sustainable use.

The success of these efforts helps promote the concept of a Partnership for Microbiologically Safe Water.

3.2. Evolution of Partnership

A three-stage evolution of the Partnership is envisioned.

The first stage may include mainly the organizations that currently represent the Work Group on Technical Cooperation. This work group may, through efforts such as the preparation of the White Paper on water quality, develop a conceptual framework that will evolve into an implementable strategy. In these efforts, key policy related governmental and non-governmental advisory organizations that are not currently members of the work group may be invited to help formulate and refine a strategy for microbiologically safe water.

In the second stage, perhaps under the continuing leadership of the Work Group, a number of pertinent governmental, private, and non-governmental organizations may be formally invited to join the Partnership. The focus at this stage would also shift towards implementation of the strategy, measurement of achievements.

In the third stage, perhaps under new leadership that includes more in-country and field expertise, the Partnership may refine the strategy and ultimately replace the work group altogether.

This outline presents some of the issues that pertain to the first stage. The following broad areas of activities need to be undertaken. It must be pointed that these activities are very inter-related and should move forward interactively.

3.3 Articulation of Work Group's/Partnership's Role

Several roles currently under discussion for the Partnership, include development of source water protection mechanisms, water treatment and disinfection technologies, social intervention approaches to educate consumers about the risks associated with poor water quality. An important early role of the Partnership is to define and clearly articulate the types of activities the Partnership will undertake. These activities may include the following:

• Assisting governments in designing water quality friendly policies and laws.

• Assisting governments in developing country targets that take into account the Partnership's contributions.

• Assisting governments and communities in obtaining scarce human, financial, technical, and organizational resources.

• Assisting communities and water utilities in voluntarily developing programs to improve water quality.

• Developing education programs for consumers and communities, etc.

The Partnership must clearly understand and transparently articulate the authority under which it is to operate. Limits to the Partnership's role should also be clearly demarcated. For example, it may be made clear that the objective of the Partnership may not include environmental programs purely for the sake of environmental improvement, but will be restricted to environmental protection to the extent that a direct relationship with water quality can be established.

The Partnership will need to devise an approach for review of progress. This review may be internally conducted, peer reviewed or involve external measurement.

3.4 Development of Implementable Regional Goals

In consultation with key stakeholders, the Partnership may devise key implementable regional goals. These goals may be very generally defined regional targets or may be more precisely articulated country level targets.

The regional and country level institutional structure would play a key role in this determination. For example, the Partnership may wish to establish different schedules for achieving coverage with microbiologically safe water in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. These schedules would take into account the nature of the institutions that serve each of these areas, the organizational and administrative skills of these organizations, financial sources available and the ability of communities to mobilize themselves.  

Another important issue is the definition of "Microbiologically Safe Water." The Partnership must clearly define if and when to include contaminants other then the microbiological, such as chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals.

3.5 Identification of Stakeholders

Many key stakeholders are already a part of this Work Group, and need not be listed here again. Additional stakeholders that may help strengthen the Partnership, may include the following types of organizations

• Consumer NGO's that have capabilities to perform one or more of the following roles:

- disseminate health information;
- collect water quality data;
- interact with health officials;
- support in influencing the legislative process;
- support in mobilizing local responses;
- develop or implement source water protection programs;
- develop effective consumer organizations that wield influence in administrative; and
- legislative circles etc.

• Professional associations that may contribute to this Partnership. These may included the following types of organizations:

- bar associations;
- associations of laboratory professionals;
- associations of health care professionals;
- associations of public works or sanitary engineers;
- associations of law makers and members of legislative bodies; and
-  consumer associations.

• Financial organizations with availability of scarce resources may include the following:

- financial NGOs such as FINCA for micro-credit related activities;
- national and local banking organizations; and
- financial cooperatives.

• Additional organizations that can contribute constructively to improved water quality.

An analysis of the stakeholders to be invited to join the Partnership must include an assessment of their interest in the Partnership, as well as their ability to contribute to the solution. In order to promote long term sustainability of this Partnership, the Work Group must consider if membership should be restricted or if it is to be open to all groups. If criteria are developed to limit or restrict membership, then these criteria must be transparent and clearly articulated.

Some of these above organizations should be anticipated to yield the senior partners and leaders of the Partnership in the years to come. 

3.6 Activities Proposed

3.6.1 Creation of a Partnership on microbiologically safe water.

To implement Initiative 47 of the Summit of Santa Cruz regarding the provision of microbiologically safe water The Consultation adopted the concept of a Partnership for microbiologically safe water. Secretariat would be either PAHO or GEF, although most likely PAHO. It will be necessary to:

1) Develop a description of the mechanism for Partnership: How will we cooperate? Who will be part of the Partnership? How will it operate? What makes this Partnership different from all other mechanisms of discussion of water quality?

2) Regarding seed funding, a document is required will be sent to both, the private and public sector: GEF, World Bank, IDB, USAID, CAPRE, the Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association, possibly the World Environment Federation, and others.

The functions of this Partnership should be:

1. Harmonization of water quality assurance programs and standards.

2. Developing a mechanism for exchanging information.

3. As a protocol, trying to eliminate the waste first, recycle second, and treat last.

4. Ensuring that the true value of water is created allowing for payback of private sector.

5. Setting goals regarding access to microbiologically safe water, i.e., percentage of the population.

6. Putting together an annual report; having a transparent process that includes public disclosure.

7. Having public/private partnership wherever possible.

8. Developing pilot projects of interesting and appropriate technologies for the context of the countries in the Region.

4. Other Supportive Activities to Initiative 47

4.1 International Symposium on Providing Safe Drinking Water in Small Systems

Recognizing that unsafe drinking water is one of the primary causes of infant mortality and morbidity in the developing world, and the difficulty in obtaining safe water on a consistent basis, NSF International, a WHO Collaborating Center for Drinking Water Safety and Treatment, PAHO/WHO will sponsor the First International Symposium on Technology, Operations and Economics of Providing Safe Drinking Water in Small Systems, in Washington, D.C (May 10-13, 1998.)

The Conference will explore practical approaches to providing reliable safe drinking water to people in need, focusing on both, traditional and non-traditional strategies. Feasible treatment technologies, operating procedures and financing opportunities to alleviate the problems faced by many small systems in developing countries will be discussed.

Additional sponsors include among others, the USEPA (Office of Research and Development) Chlorine Chemistry Council, National Water Research Institute.

4.2 Workshop on Barriers for Providing Safe Drinking Water in Small Systems

In conjunction with the above International Symposium, the National Water Resource Institute, NSF International and PAHO are sponsoring a Nominal Group Technique Workshop to be held in Washington (May 13-15, 1998). The Workshop will specifically focus on Latin American problems and will address the most significant barriers (technical, economic, and political) to providing safe drinking water in small systems. The product of the Workshop will be a report that will be published. Participants will be from Latin America and will gain significant insight in these issues that will be extremely useful in their national programs. 

5. Recommendtions for Follow-Up Activities

The following actions which resulted from the Consultation on Safe Water should be immediately implemented:

1. Creation of the Partnership on Microbiologically Safe Water.

2. Preparation of a White Paper on water quality legislation and regulations and a framework for a model legislation.

3. Feasibility study for the creation of a revolving fund or other funding mechanisms to facilitate the procurement of water treatment and disinfection equipment.

4. Proposal for joint training events in water quality to be held in 1998. 

5. Compendium of activities by all agencies that support the implementation of Initiative 47 of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and the Declaration of the Environment Leaders of the Eight on Children's Environmental Health.

Annex 1

Working Group On Coordination of Technical Cooperation
For Improving Access and Quality of Drinking Water

List of Members

Annex 2

List of participants
Consultations on Safe Drinking Water
Washington, D.C.
29-30 January 1998