DRC | Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems Activity (SWASSA)

Photo: Activity Infrastructure Team (Mercy Corps and Tetratech) on a site selection initial visit in Sake, North Kivu

Activity Description

USAID’s Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems Activity (SWASSA) aims to increase and sustain access to clean water and safe sanitation services for communities in the North and South Kivu provinces.

Activity Objectives

Conduct robust research to inform potential investors, operators, and authorities on best practices
Improve the enabling environment for water and sanitation service delivery
Prove the market potential of economically sustainable water and sanitation services

The Activity achieves its goals through stakeholder engagement, establishing partnerships with various actors, including government and service providers, and ensuring the inclusion and perspectives of marginalized voices. DRC SWASSA uses a methodological approach to inform water and sanitation intervention design, replication, and scale-up. To improve supply chain actors’ capacity to respond to the demand for water and sanitation services, the Activity is developing a Market Systems Delivery Strategic Implementation plan that will lead to context-appropriate, performance-based business models for potable water services. DRC SWASSA acts as a catalyst and advisor to strengthen institutions’ and individuals’ ability to deliver more equitable, higher-performance water and sanitation services.