Evaluating a Water Quality Assurance Fund Intervention in Ghana and Kenya

Summary

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of a novel financial and capacity strengthening intervention (the 'Water Quality Assurance Fund' program) on water safety management in rural Ghana and Kenya. The investigators hypothesize the intervention will improve water system operator knowledge, chlorination practices, and water quality at the point of collection, as well as improve consumer satisfaction, awareness, and willingness-to-pay for water that is tested and treated.

Conditions

• Water Quality
• Water Treatment
• Knowledge
• Satisfaction

Interventions

OTHER

Water Quality Assurance Fund

* At the water system level: Written legal agreements between water systems, centralized laboratories, and the organization facilitating the Assurance Fund will provide water systems with regular water quality testing and provide laboratories a guarantee of payments if water systems fail to pay for testing services on time (for up to three concurrent unpaid invoices). Regular debrief meetings will be held with water operators and local government authorities to discuss test results and water treatment options, and to encourage water systems to share water quality information with their consumers. Technical guidance to improve water treatment will be provided, if requested by water system operators or local government authorities. * At the community level: Community engagement, primarily at the onset, to inform the community about the water quality testing program and answer questions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

  collaborator FED

• Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Water Mission

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The Aquaya Institute

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Valerie Bauza, PhD · The Aquaya Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-12-06

Primary Completion

2025-09-30

Completion

2025-09-30

Countries

• Ghana
• Kenya

Study Locations