Design and preparation of alternative drinking water management models in Port-au-Prince

The water and sanitation sector in Haiti has been deeply reformed within law of 11 March 2009. The management of drinking water supply services in Port-au-Prince falls within the field of competence of the “Office Régional de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement Ouest” (OREPA Ouest), which operates the service in the capital city through its “Centre Technique d’Exploitation” of the Metropolitan Region (CTE-RMPP). The National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) is in charge of the sector regulation and planning.

With the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), an Operational Technical Assistance (OTA), led by Suez Environment, has been mobilized since 2011 to improve the technical and commercial management of the service in a context characterized by the water policy reform and the 2010 earthquake emergency. This OTA has been reviewed and extended several times and is expiring. DINEPA and IDB entrusted ICEA with a mission to design and prepare an alternative management model for water service in Port-au-Prince within a public-private partnership framework. The mission was launched in November 2016.

An in-depth diagnosis led to identify the main challenges facing the service: secure water production, both quantitatively and qualitatively; fight against losses and leakages at the distribution level; optimize customer management and; strengthen the territorial anchoring of the CTE and the capacities of the agencies.

This diagnosis led to the definition of four main areas for improvement and the design of three PPP alternatives in four scenarios. The scenarios were adjusted during several participatory workshops. At the end of this process, an optimal scenario is selected including a delegation of several water production sites grouped in three lots and a delegation of the management of a “pilot” commercial agency.

PPP contracts will receive IDB financial support for a period of 3 years under a PaP III program.

In February 2019, ICEA finalized the drafting of bidding documents and contracts in close co-operation with local stakeholders and the IDB.