Incorporating Cultural Context into Safe-Water Interventions: Experimental Evidence from Egypt

Adoption of safe drinking water remains low in many developing countries. Where centralized water treatment is unavailable, governments often promote point-of-use chlorination. Yet, past studies show that even when chlorine is free, adoption rarely exceeds 50 percent.

Findings from a previous randomized evaluation tested if people will instead opt to consume a culturally familiar alternative in higher rate: filtered water that looks and tastes like local sources. Results showed adoption rates of 91 percent—42 percentage points higher than chlorinated water—and a 61 percent greater willingness to pay. Additional experiments suggested that taste strongly shapes how individuals perceive water’s healthiness. These results indicate that policymakers can find benefit in moving beyond the mainstream approach of subsidized chlorine and instead consider strategies that reflect local communities’ culture and preferences.

Building on these findings, this study will examine whether filtered water improves health outcomes and influences women’s socio-economic wellbeing.