Audit of USAID/Nicaragua"s water and sanitation activities

Except for activities to construct seepage pits and a solid waste facility, the Mission"s water and sanitation activities are on schedule to achieve the planned outputs. As of February 23, 2001, Save the Children had not been able to construct any of the 1,218 seepage pits planned to be constructed by December 31, 2000. Due to the high water table in the area in which Save the Children works, the original design for the seepage pits proved to be unworkable, and the Nicaraguan Water and Sewer Authority"s (ENACAL) approval could not be obtained because the seepage pits could contaminate the ground water. The country director for Camp Dresser & McKee International stated that Save the Children is the only organization using seepage pits. He also stated that, while he believed the 2,567 seepage pits could still be completed before the scheduled end of the project (August 31, 2001), he did not believe that the seepage pits were a critical element of the project. The audit recommended that the Mission either develop a plan for constructing the seepage pits or reprogram the $136,000 in funds budgeted for their construction. The mission decided to reprogram the funds. No recommendation was made concerning the solid waste facility because only one such facility is to be developed and it appears that it can reasonably be completed before the end of the program. The mission had implemented an adequate system to monitor its water and sanitation activities.