Estimating the Global Target Market for Passive Chlorination

Abstract

Deploying passive (in-line) chlorinators is one strategy for improving access to microbially safe drinking water without requiring electricity or daily user input. Using Joint Monitoring Programme data, we calculate the population in low- and middle-income countries (n = 135 LMICs) using drinking water sources that are compatible (piped water and kiosks) or potentially compatible (packaged and/or delivered water, rainwater, boreholes and/or tube wells, and protected springs) with passive chlorinators. Leveraging water quality data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (n = 37 LMICs), we estimate that 2.32 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.19, 2.46] billion people use microbially contaminated water sources that are compatible [1.51 (1.42, 1.60) billion] or potentially compatible [817 (776, 858) million] with passive chlorinators. The largest target market for passive chlorinators is in South Asia [551 (532, 571) million rural users and 401 (384, 417) million urban users], where >77% of compatible drinking water sources are contaminated. However, self-reported household water treatment practices (n = 54 LMICs) indicate that chlorination is more common in the African and Latin American regions, suggesting passive chlorination would have higher acceptance in these regions than in Asia. Reaching the full potential of passive chlorinators will require establishing compatability of technologies with hand pump chlorination and identifying financially viable implementation models.