Water supply and sanitation in the Dominican Republic
Encyclopedia
| Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... : Water and Sanitation |
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| Data | ||
| Water coverage (broad definition) | 95% | |
| Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | 78% | |
| Continuity of supply (%) | 10% | |
| Average urban water use (l/c/d) | 450 | |
| Average urban water and sewer bill for 20m3 | US$5/month (1990–1998) | |
| Share of household metering | low | |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | 49% (2000) | |
| Annual investment in WSS | US$14/capita (1991-1998 average) | |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | very low | |
| Share of tax-financing | n/a | |
| Share of external financing | n/a | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization to municipalities | Partial | |
| National water and sanitation company | Yes, but limited to small towns | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | No | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Presidency of the Republic | |
| Sector law | No | |
| Number of urban service providers | 6 | |
| Number of rural service providers | n/a | |
The Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
has achieved impressive increases in access to water supply and sanitation over the past two decades. However, the quality of water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
and sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
services remains poor, despite the country's high economic growth during the 1990s.
Access
The Dominican Republic, with a population of 8.8 million, of which about 60% are located in urban areas, has a high level of water services in urban areas with 97% coverage and 92% of the urban population with household connections (as compared to an average of 90% in the LAC region).| Urban (60% of the population) | Rural (40% of the population) | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Broad definition | 97% | 91% | 95% |
| House connections | 92% | 62% | 80% | |
| Sanitation | Broad definition | 81% | 73% | 78% |
| Sewerage | 65% | 27% | 50% |
Source: WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (2006). Water and sanitation based on Dominican Republic Demographic and Health Survey (2002).
There are substantial regional differences in coverage. For example, in nine provinces located in the Central, Northeastern and Eastern part of the country less than 70% of the population had access to an improved source of water supply according to the 2002 census.
Poor households exhibit lower levels of access: only 56% of poor households are connected to water house connections as opposed to 80% of non-poor households. Just 20% of poor households have access to sewers, as opposed to 50% for the non-poor.
Service quality
Despite decentralization efforts and continued government support, quality and continuity of service are inadequate in the Dominican Republic. Water scarcity is increasing mainly due to excessive consumption in urban areas, a lack of demand management (low tariffs, low share of metering, limited environmental consciousness) and watershed degradation. Watershed degradation occurs mainly in the lower sections of most coastal basins and is a result of unplanned settlements and activities and lack of sanitation services.Continuity
Only 10.5% of the population connected to water systems receives water on a continuous basis.Continuity of services (%)
| By system | By serviced population | |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous service | 40% | 10.5% |
| Intermittent service | 60% | 89.5% |
Drinking water quality
Various factors affect the water quality in the Dominican Republic, including: poor condition of purification systems, minimal operational controls, low level of maintenance of treatment plants, and mostly intermittent systems.38.4% of water systems have no chlorination system installed. These are mostly smaller systems in rural areas. The fact that a chlorination system exists is not a guarantee that water is actually properly disinfected.
National chlorination coverage
| Urban | Rural | National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water systems with chlorination systems | 87.3% | 57.4% | 61.4% |
| Water systems without chlorination systems | 12.7% | 42.6% | 38.4% |
According to 2002 figures by the service providers only 73.6% of drinking water quality samples showed satisfactory drinking water quality (as measured by the absence of total coliforms), while the international norm is 95%. It should be noted that the presence of coliforms as such is not a health hazard, but that the presence of coliforms is an indicator of the potential presence of pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
s.
Wastewater treatment
In 2000 the WHO estimated that 49% of collected wastewater in the Dominican Republic received some kind of treatment. This percentage, while much higher than the average for Latin America and the Caribbean at that time (15%), is still considered insufficient.Pollution
The depletion of groundwater and the unregulated disposal of wastewater and solid waste are creating problems that might become irreversible. The numerous new communities around urban areas and large hotels usually do not have adequate sanitation.History and recent developments
During the 1950s and 1960s the water and sanitation sector in the Dominican Republic experienced an abrupt decentralization and subsequent re-centralization. Since 1962, the institutional framework has remained relatively stable, with a gradual process of regionalization to the provinces with the largest cities of the country. Over the last three decades, which were characterized by economic growth fueled primarily by a massive inflow of tourists, substantial investments were made and service coverage increased significantly.Decentralization and Recentralization
Under the government of Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961) water service provision was first provided centrally and then decentralized. Until 1955 the national government provided services through the General Directorate of Water Systems (Dirección General de Acueductos) in the Ministry of Public Works and Irrigation (Secretaría de Fomento, Obras Públicas y Riego). All responsibilities and assets were transferred by the government in 1955 to the local city councils (Ayundamientos), a model which failed by 1962. The government of President Joaquín BalaguerJoaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was the President of the Dominican Republic from 1960 to 1962, from 1966 to 1978, and again from 1986 to 1996.-Early life and introduction to politics:...
thus created INAPA through Law 5994 on July 30, 1962, again administering all water systems centrally.
Gradual establishment of regional water and sewer companies
In 1973, under the second Presidency of Joaquín Balaguer (1966–1978), CAASD was set up in the capital Santo Domingo as the first regional water and sewer company, followed by the creation of CORAASAN in the second largest city of the country, Santiago, in 1977.The 1990s under the third Presidency of Joaquín Balaguer (1986–1996) and the first Presidency of Leonel Fernández
Leonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
(1996–2000) witnessed substantial investments in water and sanitation and an important increase in coverage. For example, access to water house connections in rural areas increased from 35% in 1990 to 62% in 2004. Access to sewer connections in urban areas increased from 47% in 1990 to 65% in 2004. These increases are among the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean during that period.
At the insistence of Congressmen representing their respective constituencies, the process of regionalization continued and in 1997-98 laws were passed creating three additional regional water and sewer companies in Puerto Plata, Moca and Romana.
Stalled reform efforts
In 1999 the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved an important US$ 71 million loan to consolidate the reform and modernization of the water and sanitation sector. The loan foresaw the financing of investments by INAPA and regional companies, as well as substantial technical assistance. Specifically, it aimed at transforming the five regional water companies into commercially operated entities with no political interference in day-to-day management and strong representation of municipalities and civil society in their Boards, based on the model of CORAASAN. In the case of CORAAMOCA and COAAROM, management contracts with private operators were to be signed. INAPA was to be gradually decentralized into autonomous regional units, and services in rural areas were to be gradually transferred to users. A condition for the effectiveness of the loan was the passing by Congress of a water and sanitation framework law that would have established a central government agency (ente rector) in charge of the sector as well as a water and sanitation regulatory agency.Under the Presidency of Hipolito Mejia
Hipólito Mejía
Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez is a Dominican politician and former President of the Dominican Republic...
(2000–2004), the water and sanitation law was debated in Congress in 2002 and again in June 2004, but was ultimately not passed. The IDB loan thus did not become effective.
Private sector service contracts in Santo Domingo
Nevertheless the government undertook steps to involve the private sector in water and sanitation. In 2001 CAASD signed two service contracts for the installation of meters, meter reading, billing and collection, one for the Eastern and one for the Western part of its service area in Santo DomingoSanto Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
. The contract for the Western part was awarded to the Colombian company AAA, which increased the share of metering from 1% to 25% and increased collected revenues by 128% in less than two years. The second government of President Leonel Fernández
Leonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
(2004–2008) has not taken the initiative to revitalize the stalled reform process in the water and sanitation sector.
Policy and regulation
Policy and regulatory functions in the water and sanitation sector in the Dominican Republic are highly fragmented:- The Secretariado Técnico de la Presidencia is in charge of setting policies.
- Drinking water quality regulation is the responsibility of the Secretariat of Public Health (Secretaria de Salud Publica) through its State Secretariat of Public Health and Social Security (SESPAS)
- Environmental regulation is shared between the State Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaria de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales), which determines the limits of residual waste and controls activities, and the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), which regulates concessions for all use and preservation of water.
- The General Directorate of Norms and Systems Quality (DIGENOR) approves quality norms in the sector.
There is no economic regulatory agency for the sector. The absence of a national strategy for water and sanitation is considered a constraint to sector development. Without a clear strategy, there is a lack of direction and no apparent separation of roles among the active sector agencies. This results in overlapping responsibilities and sometimes conflicting activities.
Service provision
Water and sewer services are provided by regional companies in the largest cities, the national water and sewerage authority (INAPA) in other cities and towns, as well as by community-based water boards in rural areas.The regional water and sanitation companies were established over a period of 25 years, each by its own law. Each company covers one Province. Their general directors are appointed by the President of the Republic, thus showing a continuity of centralized decision-making in the presence of regional companies. Besides this similarity, the governance structure (such as the composition and function of their Boards) of each regional company is different. The regional companies are:
- The Santo Domingo Water and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD), which services approximately 2.2 million people in the city of Santo DomingoSanto DomingoSanto Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
and the surrounding Santo Domingo Province. CAASD is a public service company with autonomous character created by Law 498 on April 13, 1973. CAASD's highest authority is a Council of Directors consisting of six members, including the general director of CAASD, the mayor of Santo Domingo, the Director of INDRHI and the Director of INAPA. - The Santiago Water and Sewerage Company (CORAASAN) services over 750,000. The autonomous public corporation was created in 1977 by Law 520.
- The Puerto Plata Water and Sewerage Company CORAAPPLATA in Puerto Plata Province, which was created by Law 142 of July 1997 and started operations in 2001.
- The Moca Water and Sewerage Compamny (Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Moca - CORAMOCA) in Espaillat Province, created by Law 89 of May 16, 1997.
- The Romana Water and Sewerage Company (Corporación de Acueducto y Alcantarillado de la Romana - CORAAROM) in La Romana Province, which was created by Law 385 of August 18, 1998.
About 4.4 million people, or half the population of the country, live in the five provinces and the national district of the capital served by the five regional water and sewer companies.
Efficiency (water losses)
Non-revenue waterNon-revenue water
Non revenue water is water that has been produced and is “lost” before it reaches the customer. Losses can be real losses or apparent losses . High levels of NRW are detrimental to the financial viability of water utilities, as well to the quality of water itself...
has been estimated by various sources at being higher than 40% or higher than 65%. Currently, service providers produce 41,720 liters per second (LPS), which is an average of 907 liters per person and day (LPPD) before losses. Even after taking into account losses, water use is much higher than in Europe (220 LPPD) and the United States (300 LPPD). The tourism industry explains this high consumption to a large extent. The hotel industry uses 280% more than what other Caribbean countries use - 1,483 liters per guest and night.
Tariffs and cost recovery
Cost recovery for water and sanitation is minimal. Average tariffs are moderate at US$ 0.21 per cubic meter for water and US$ 0.07 per cubic meter for sewerage. Collection rates are extremely low at only 28%. As a result of moderate tariffs and very low collection rates, according to a WHO estimate in 1998, households paid on average only US$ 0.50 per month for water and US$ 0.09 per month for sewerage. Electricity bills of the utilities are directly paid for by the central government. The regional water and sewer companies and INAPA rely largely on subsidies from the central goernment using mechanisms that are not transparent and do not promote efficiency.However, there were some improvements. In 2006 the revenues collected by the regional utility in Puerto Plata was 2.5 times higher than in 2002 due to tariff increases and better bill collection. This allowed the utility to generate a moderate surplus to contribute to the financing of investments. The utility has also signed a performance and financing agreement with the national government, providing more transparency and incentives to improve efficiency.
Investment and financing
A total of 84% of investments made between 1990-98 went to urban centers, while only 16% went to the rural zones Average annual investments for potable water supply was US$87.9 million (1990–1998), which is a relatively high level of per capita investments compared to other developing countries. However, investments are not well allocated. For example, investments are biased towards water supply at the expense of improved sanitation and wastewater treatment, which received only 2.3% of total investments.It has been argued that poor allocation of resources has resulted in lower increases in coverage rates than would be expected, given the levels of investments. Also, little coordination has been carried out by donors.
Investment financing comes mainly from the central government, with some modest contributions by some regional utilities from their own revenues.
External support
The water and sanitation sector receives external support from international financial institutions such as the Inter-American Development BankInter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, USAID, the European Union, as well as from NGOs such as CARE and the Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
.
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
The IDB has played an important role in the sector through its reform and modernization program mentioned above. However, the program has been stalled for many years after Congress did not approve the water and sanitation reform law that was a condition for the program's effectiveness.The IDB is preparing a US$35m loan to support the Decentralization and Strengthening of INAPA.
World Bank
In 2007/08 the World Bank prepared a Water and Sanitation in Tourism Areas Project. Its main objective is the reduction of the high economic, environmental and social costs caused by wastewater and solid waste deficiencies, especially in tourist areas, and the improvement of the coverage and quality of the provision of water as well as the collection and disposal of wastewater and solid waste in the Dominican Republic. This would be achieved by: (i) supporting the development and implementation of a national water, wastewater and solid waste strategies in a coordinated way among government agencies and donors; (ii) improving water resources management and the quality, efficiency and sustainability of water and solid waste services; and (iii) increasing the coverage of water and solid waste services, especially to poor communities near tourist areas.See also
- Water resources management in the Dominican RepublicWater resources management in the Dominican RepublicWith surface water resources of 20 billion m3 per year, of which 12 BCM are groundwater recharge, water resources in the Dominican Republic could be considered abundant. But irregular spatial and seasonal distribution, coupled with high consumption in irrigation and urban water supply, translates...
- Electricity sector in the Dominican RepublicElectricity sector in the Dominican RepublicThe power sector in the Dominican Republic has traditionally been, and still is, a bottleneck to the country's economic growth. A prolonged electricity crisis and ineffective remedial measures have led to a vicious cycle of regular blackouts, high operating costs of the distribution companies,...
External links
- Instituto Nacional de Aguas Potables y Alcantarillados (INAPA)
- Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Santo Domingo (CAASD)
- Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Santiago (CORAASAN)
- Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Puerto Plata (CORAAPPLATA)
Sources
- WHO/PAHO 2000: Evaluation of Water Supply and Sanitation in the Americas, Country Report Dominican Republicy WHO 2000
- Rosa Urania Abreu, octubre 2005: Republica Dominicana: Situacion actual del sector Agua Potable y Saneamiento y sus principales necesicades (Presentación en Powerpoint)