The options of running a business with WATASOL

Choose the right product, and point of sale

Given the range of different forms of distribution of chlorine produced with the WATA, there is also accordingly a variety of potential business models. Which one you, or your organisation, selects varies according to the local context. In fact, you might need to test before finding the best form of dissemination.

A combination of several businesses can also ensure a larger coverage of consumers (consumer segmentation) and secure different sources of funding.

At the door, tap, point, vendor or kiosk

  • Selling chlorine door-to-door: chlorine can be sold in small bottles of 250 ml by a sales person who goes door-to-door. Direct contact with the consumers is time-consuming but important to pass on the right messages and it ensures regularity of use and long-term impact. A small bottle of chlorine is enough to treat water for one family for three weeks.
  • Selling chlorination services (disinfection services) door-to-door, or at public water points: This model provides a disinfection service either from door-to-door as some business do, going from house to house, in Bangladesh or disinfecting at public water points in DRC. The main advantage of this model is that the dilution is not the responsibility of the customers. Direct contact is key to passing on hygiene messages.
  • Selling water through mobile water vendors: in this model, a mobile water vendor brings chlorinated water in jerry cans to the customers. The advantage is that a final product is sold. Customers do not have to dilute their chlorine themselves. However, carrying water in jerry cans is much less practical than carrying small chlorine bottles.
  • Selling water or chlorine through water kiosks or public water points: In this model, you sell water in jerry cans (or smaller bottles) from a kiosk to customers. You could also sell chlorine flasks and, later on, other services. Another option is to apply WATASOL not as a standalone technical solution but in combination with a slow-sand filtration or another purification technology. This model is being tested in India and Bangladesh.

Which message, which messenger?

The success of projects with chlorine depends very much on the people and institutions involved in the dissemination.

We have identified, for example, that schools, health centres and women are important players in raising awareness on safe water and to spread the right messages on chlorine.

Social marketing, health centres and women groups

  • Social marketing of chlorine through schools: Schools are excellent places to create awareness for safe water and influence future generations, but not to operate WATASOL as a business. It is possible to use schools for social marketing and to find a way on how to use WATAs for disinfecting their school tanks and to integrate water-testing in the curriculum. This social marketing should be combined with selling of chlorine or water in one of the other forms mentioned above. Social marketing is a public health task and an activity that cannot be financed by the private sector alone. We are trying to make this social marketing activity through schools sustainable and scalable.
  • Dissemination through health centres: Here, the people involved in the production and the dissemination of chlorine are usually experienced in health matters, and are also messengers in whom targeted users trust. Local people listen to their advice and follow their instructions. At the same time, the health centre is autonomous of external supply of chlorine and can produce its own low-cost and good quality chlorine.
  • Dissemination through women groups: Water is often at the core of women’s traditional responsibilities. They are key agents of change if they are empowered and involved. They can create an income-generating activity around the production of chlorine. This business model was tested in DRC with significant success. As health education agents, women can have the role of community education on the chlorination of drinking water, working on a mouth-to-mouth, door-to-door basis, through neighbourhood meetings and on local radio.