Clean Water in Never Oporta

In April 2017, the rural community of Never Oporta, in San Miguelito, Río San Juan, Nicaragua, partnered with Self-Help International to install a chlorinator, which uses chlorine tablets to disinfect the water and ensure it is safe for the population to drink.

Since then, Self-Help Nicaragua’s Clean Water Program has provided ongoing comprehensive technical advice to the area CAPS (Drinking Water and Sanitation Committee), which is responsible for administering local water systems.

Now, Never Oporta is one of five communities participating in a new Self-Help project to install water meters in every home in the village.

Through zero-interest financing from Self-Help International, the Never Oporta CAPS received C$60,000 (córdobas), approximately US$1,634, to purchase and install water meters. The loan carries no interest, no administrative fees, and no late penalties.

Before the meters, each home paid a fixed fee to the local water cooperative every month, regardless of the number of people living in the household and the amount of water that they consumed. This means smaller households end up subsidizing those that consume more water.

With the meters, every home pays according to how much water they use, allowing each household to pay according to actual consumption, promoting fairness and accountability. Water meters encourage more responsible use of water and help conserve the resource. The result has been less water wasted, and in turn, increased water availability for the whole village.

The meters have also increased water system revenue, which will allow the community to repay their loan and expand the water system as Never Oporta grows in the future.

″We have seen a change,″ says Never Oporta resident Jamilton. ″People are already trying to use water more appropriately. Now our system is more sustainable; we can leave our children a future water system that will last for generations to come.″

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