Improved Water Services Research Articles

Exploring policy perceptions and responsibility of devolved decision-making for water service delivery in Kenya’s 47 county governments

Improving water services is a well-rehearsed political instrument to win public support against a backdrop of a wide range of hydro-political realities in Africa. This paper examines whether devolution to Kenya’s 47 counties advances the constitutional mandate for the human right to water. Specifically, it examines which factors influence decision-makers’ perception of their responsibility for water service delivery in their counties. Drawing on interviews from all county water ministries, a sociopolitical risk model leveraging public choice theory is developed and tested. Information on election margin, climate risk, urbanisation, poverty levels, water budget and citizen satisfaction is modelled to explain variations in the policymakers’ perceptions of their responsibilities. Results reveal that county water ministries recognise increased political responsibility for the poor outside current provision areas across water quantity, quality, accessibility and non-discrimination criteria. Affordability is the most contested criterion, with only a limited number of counties accepting responsibility. High socioclimatic risks and narrow election margins are likely to boost devolved duty-bearers’ perception of responsibility for improved water service delivery. These variable factors demonstrate the interdependence of spatial and political dimensions during Kenya’s devolution process and promote the conclusion that independent and strong regulation is critical to realising the human right to water for the great majority of Kenyans living in rural areas and facing unpredictable climate risks.

Understanding water-related emotional distress for improving water services: a case study from an Ethiopian small town

Abstract This paper introduces the concept of emotional distress as a means of measuring the direct experience of inadequate access to drinking water in a small town in Ethiopia under the UNICEF-Government of Ethiopia urban ONEWASH plus programme. The paper explores a new perspective on the relationship between water technologies, water services, household socio-economic characteristics (as predictors) and mental health in its broad definition. Results indicate that water-related emotional distress is predominantly associated with the ‘cost of water’ and the ‘size of household’. Quantity of water, reliability of the preferred source and accessibility were not significant predictors to emotional distress. Whether the household accessed a pipe into a compound or another improved source was not a significant predictor either. The safely managed target in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.1 focuses on the affordability, accessibility and safety of water but does not explore the relation between cost and water-related emotional distress. This evidence offers a complementary approach to the ‘affordability of water services’ as it looks beyond the mere financial implications of water costs.

Fostering equity and wellbeing through water: A reinterpretation of the goal of securing access

Current approaches to the development of water services such as water supply, sanitation, and hygiene in the Global South are driven by the aim to secure people's rights to access such services. In this literature-based paper, we illustrate how such an interpretation of access limits the ability of development efforts in the sector to (i) address power inequities mediating access to water services, and; (ii) acknowledge and strengthen wellbeing factors implicated with water services beyond basic health. We argue that maintaining the current interpretation of access limits the ability of development initiatives in the water sector to address pressing issues mediating people's ability to benefit from water services. To address these limitations, we propose a reinterpretation of the goal of securing access in international development frameworks grounded in Ribot and Peluso's (2003) theory of access and Amartya Sen’s (1999, 2008, 2013) Capability Approach to human development. Such a reinterpretation strengthens the capacity of global efforts to improve water services to not only foster good health, but also address inequity and other dimensions of human wellbeing such as livelihoods and education.

The Most Effective Strategies to Curb Corruption and Improve Water Service Delivery in Zimbabwe

The main objective of this study was to find the most effective strategies to curb and eradicate corruption and improve water service delivery. The study also aimed to present the type, causes, and effects of corruption. A mixed-methods questionnaire survey design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. 220 questionnaires were distributed to providers and users of water services in Zimbabwe. 149 respondents returned the completed questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The Analysis of Variance was used to test the significance of mean scores. The study revealed that corruption is highly prevalent in Zimbabwe. The main factors that cause corruption in the water sector are poor governance, economic hardship, and weak accountability. Corruption leads to economic stagnation and poor foreign investments. Organisations such as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority must improve systems and structures, enhance the auditing process, and educate staff on good ethical standards and effective governance to effectively fight against corruption and improve service delivery. They must also put in place strong governance and accountability frameworks and work closely with communities and policy makers to eradicate corruption. The availability of water should be the same across all the suburbs, and the country needs to adjust its water bill rates in line with regional rates. Service providers should make use of mobile technology to promote citizenry participation in sharing ideas and making decisions on water sustainability. This study reaffirms the need to fight corruption and improve water service delivery.

The Most Effective Strategies to Curb Corruption and Improve Water Service Delivery in Zimbabwe

The main objective of this study was to find the most effective strategies to curb and eradicate corruption and improve water service delivery. The study also aimed to present the type, causes, and effects of corruption. A mixed-methods questionnaire survey design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. 220 questionnaires were distributed to providers and users of water services in Zimbabwe. 149 respondents returned the completed questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The Analysis of Variance was used to test the significance of mean scores. The study revealed that corruption is highly prevalent in Zimbabwe. The main factors that cause corruption in the water sector are poor governance, economic hardship, and weak accountability. Corruption leads to economic stagnation and poor foreign investments. Organisations such as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority must improve systems and structures, enhance the auditing process, and educate staff on good ethical standards and effective governance to effectively fight against corruption and improve service delivery. They must also put in place strong governance and accountability frameworks and work closely with communities and policy makers to eradicate corruption. The availability of water should be the same across all the suburbs, and the country needs to adjust its water bill rates in line with regional rates. Service providers should make use of mobile technology to promote citizenry participation in sharing ideas and making decisions on water sustainability. This study reaffirms the need to fight corruption and improve water service delivery.

Artisanal versus industrial mining: impacts on poverty in regions of Burkina Faso

The impact of industrial mining and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) on poverty is generally analyzed at local level, with very little consideration of the impact on the regional level. The multi-level and multidimensional nature of the phenomenon of poverty requires a multifaceted analysis. The aim of this work is to analyze the impact of ASM and industrial mining on poverty at the regional level in Burkina Faso for the period 2003–2014. The econometric results indicate that neither ASM nor industrial mining has a significant effect on the incidence of poverty at regional level. In addition, the effect of industrial mining on access to basic services is insignificant. However, the results reveal that mining conflicts increase the incidence of poverty as well as the rate of access to improved water services. The positive relationship between mining conflicts and water services suggests that providing socioeconomic infrastructures to communities is a requirement to prevent mining conflicts.

Water Civilization: The Evolution of the Dutch Drinking Water Sector

Dutch drinking water companies now deliver safe affordable water to the entire population, but this result was not planned. It emerged, rather, from an evolutionary process in which various pressures on the commons resulted in changes to drinking water systems that addressed old concerns but uncovered new problems. Our analytical narrative traces this problem-solution-new problem pattern through four eras in which a common-pool dilemma is addressed by a private-good solution (1850-1880), a club-good solution (1880-1910) and public good solution (1910-1950) before returning to a private-good solution in the last 1950-1990 era. Actions, like the dates just given, were not always exact or effective, as the process was shaped by changing social norms regarding the distribution of costs and benefits from improved water services. This Dutch history is unique, but its insights can help improve drinking water services elsewhere.

Effects of water source accessibility and reliability improvements on water consumption in eastern Nairobi

Under the commitments of the UN Sustainable Development targets, there is increasing pressure on water utility providers in developing countries to improve their levels of service to consumers, especially for the rapidly growing numbers of people with lower incomes who reside in urban informal settlements. However, pressure on water resources in many regions is simultaneously increasing owing to factors such as pollution, agricultural needs, and climate change. It is therefore important to assess the impacts of improving water services on city-wide water resources. This study examines consumption data from the East African city of Nairobi, collected from households of a variety of residential neighbourhoods. The study suggests that average per capita water consumption is closely related to water source choice (i.e. tap in the dwelling, yard tap, or water vendor kiosks). Within categories of water source type, variables such as household wealth, cost of water, and education do not have significant effects ...

Willingness to Pay for Improved Water Services: A Case of Darjeeling, India

Willingness to Pay for Improved Water Services: A Case of Darjeeling, India

Look Who's Talking. Explaining Water-Related Information Sharing and Demand for Action Among Ugandan Villagers.

Many national water policies propagate community-based participatory approaches to overcome weaknesses in supply-driven rural water provision, operation, and maintenance. Citizen involvement is thought to stimulate bottom-up accountability and broaden the information base, which may enrich design and implementation processes and foster improved water accessibility and sustainability. Practices on the ground, however, are embedded in socio-political realities which mediate possible beneficial effects of participatory approaches. This paper builds on full social network data collected in a Ugandan village to study the social and political reality of two distinct levels of participation, i.e. local information sharing among citizens and a more active appeal to fellow citizens to improve water services. We use Logistic Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure to explore what type of actor and network traits influence information sharing and whether the same factors are in play in the demand for action to remedy water-related problems. Whereas social aspects (social support relations) and homophily (using the same water source, the same gender) play an important role in information sharing, it is the educational level, in particular, of the villager who is called upon that is important when villagers demand action. Our findings also demonstrate that those most in need of safe water do not mobilize their information sharing ties to demand for action. This indicates that building local water policies and practice exclusively on locally existing demand for action may fail to capture the needs of the most deprived citizens.

Impact of improved water services in informal neighbourhoods in Ouagadougou

ABSTRACTThis article examines the impact of a project to improve water services in underserved neighbourhoods in Ouagadougou on household water access conditions. We used the propensity-score matching method to analyse data from a survey carried out in 2011, and found that the improvement project cut the cost of water neighbourhood-wide by 94 CFA francs per cubic meter, reduced the portion of this expense by 1% of the average household budget, and cut the daily time to collect water by 10–13 min. The results that we obtained through the propensity-score matching method differ from those obtained by simply comparing the averages of the neighbourhoods participating in the project to those that did not participate. This indicates that the propensity-score matching method of impact evaluation is valuable in supplying decision makers with nonbiased estimates of the link between ease of access to water and poverty reduction.

Public‐Private Partnerships Used to Manage Water in Mexico: Puebla, a Case Study

A public – private partnership model used in Puebla, Mexico, reveals opportunities for improving water services and supply for consumers.

Water supply dynamics and quality of alternative water sources in low-income areas of Lilongwe City, Malawi

Recent studies in many developing countries have shown that Small Scale Independent Providers (SSIPs) in low-income areas (LIAs) are practical alternatives to water utilities. This study explored supply dynamics and quality of alternative water sources in four LIAs of Lilongwe City in Malawi using qualitative and quantitative methods. Household-level surveys (n = 120) and transect walks were employed to determine the socio-economic activities in the areas. One-on-one discussions were made with water source owners (SSIPs) (n = 24). Data on policy and institutional frameworks was collected through desktop study and Key Informant Interviews (n = 25). Quality of the water sources (shallow wells and boreholes) was determined by collecting grab samples (n = 24) in triplicate using 500 mL bottles. Selected physico-chemical and microbiological parameters were measured: pH, EC, TDS, turbidity, water temperature, salinity, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cl−, F−, NO3−, alkalinity, water hardness, Fecal coliform (FC) and Faecal Streptococci (FS) bacteria. Water quality data was compared with Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water. Shallow wells were reported (65%, n = 120) to be the main source of water for household use in all areas. Some policies like prohibition of boreholes and shallow wells in City locations were in conflict with other provisions of water supply, sanitation and housing. High levels of FC (0–2100 cfu/100 mL) and FS (0–1490 cfu/100 mL) at several sites (>90%, n = 24) suggest water contamination likely to impact on human health. This calls for upgrading and recognition of the water sources for improved water service delivery.

Water Services Management

Water services include water supply, sewerage and stormwater drainage. The facilities needed for these services are pipelines, reservoirs and treatment works; but the service goes beyond the infrastructure. It includes economics, billing, and business management. Although these services exist in every city, being advanced by the growing use of automation and information technology, costs are also increasing without many consumers seeing increased benefits. Customer service is therefore becoming important to the industry.Water Services Management is intended to educate engineers to manage and improve water services, rather than simply designing and constructing treatment works and distribution systems. The text covers water supply and drainage from the hydraulic and economic points of view, and while design and construction practices are reviewed, the focus of the book is on improving existing systems to turn the emerging industry into an attractive business.Topics covered include:Potable water supply, sewerage and stormwater drainage.Hydraulic management: storage, peak flow attenuation and pumping.Water quality: standards, pollution control and treatment.Infrastructure management: rehabilitation, reconstruction, upgrading and maintenance.Economic efficiency: asset management, privatization, and risk analysis.Improving economic viability via efficient use of energy and construction project management.Characteristics encountered in developing countries are also considered, including:Low cost sanitation, water supply standards and off-grid energy sources.Capacity building and appropriate technologies.Financing, operation and benchmarking.Governance and Management for Sustainable Water Systems SeriesISBN: 9781843390800 (Print)ISBN: 9781780402529 (eBook)

Improving cost recovery in urban water supply service: an experience from India

Poor cost recovery, owing to inherent problems associated with intermittent water service, is common in the majority of towns and cities in India. The water supply in twin cities of Hubli–Dharwad, located in North Karnataka, India, was characterized by several issues such as water losses, poor service delivery, low cost recovery and low investments. Provision of water service to the twin cities was the responsibility of the Hubli–Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) until 2003. The municipal revenues were affected by the large gap between revenue and expenditure on account of poor performance of the water division of the corporation, which further impeded the efforts to improve water service. In 2003, due to deteriorating performance with regard to water supply, the Government of Karnataka transferred the responsibility for maintenance of the water service to the Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board (KUWS&DB). The KUWS&DB along with the HDMC adopted a multi-pronged strategy to improve cost recovery. The sustained efforts for over a decade (2003–2013) led to a gradual increase in full cost recovery from about 12% in 2003 to 47% in 2013. This study examines the impact of the multi-pronged approach adopted for improving cost recovery in water supply in the twin cities.

Improved Water Services and Malaysian Household’s Willingness to Pay: A Descriptive Analysis

Water tariff increase has been suggested as part of the water services industry reform agenda in Malaysia. This study explores the issue on Malaysian households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a promised improved domestic water quality and services. Descriptive analysis on data from 262 household’s paid water users, the study found that majority of Malaysian household’s WTP to be at the less than RM5; these consist of those who live in rural and suburban areas (not urban), those within all income categories (except for those earning between RM6001-RM9000), and those with education level less than Master and above degree. The findings indicate the importance of socio-economic factor to be considered by SPAN and water services providers in any plans to increase water tariff.

Selected Social Policy Issues: Access to and Use of Potable Water by People Living with Disabilities in Nyakatondo and Foya Villages (Mount Darwin District, Zimbabwe)

The purpose of the study was to analyse access to potable water by people living with disabilities in Nyakatondo and Foya villages in Mount Darwin district. This district is located in Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe. The study was influenced by the lack of empirical studies on water and disability and the acute potable water problems in the two villages. The researchers applied ethnography to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the problem. The study aims to improve the access to potable water by people living with disabilities in the two villages. This overall aim can only be achieved through appropriate understanding of the factors constraining access to potable water by people living with disabilities. The study shows that access to potable water is a serious development problem in the two villages and generally the northern and north eastern parts of the district due to low rainfall levels, low underground water levels and salty water. These problems imply that potable water poverty is high in the two villages and the other parts of the district. The existence of merely one borehole for each of these two villages that is located far from the villages poses potable water challenges for people living with disabilities and everyone else. Prioritisation of water development and convenient water delivery are key recommendations for the transformation of the wellbeing of people living with disabilities and everyone else. The improved water services in the villages should also entail the designing and redesigning of water facilities to enhance accessibility, access, usability and safety for people living with disabilities.

English

Cross-sectional data was used that was collected from 181 households in 2011/2012, to estimate households’ willingness to pay for improved water service in Nebelet. The probit model was used to identify socio-economic factors that affect the willingness to pay (WTP) of households. Interruption, delay in maintenance, irregular/erratic availability of the public water supply, the price charged per unit, the unequal treatment households face while collecting water at the public supply were found to be the pressing water problem existing in the study area. The descriptive analysis result showed that 96% of the sample households were willing to pay for the provision of improved water service. The Probit model showed that income, distance, water expense, bid, education, level of existing water satisfaction, marital status and sex were associated with households’ willingness to pay for the provision of improved water services. Indicating, in designing water project/policy socio-economic factors (such as age, monthly income, educational level) should be considered for successful water project/policy at household level. Key words: Existing water problem, contingent valuation method, improved water provision.

Appropriate Pricing Policy Needed Worldwide for Improving Water Services Infrastructure

This article highlights the enormous and growing gap between the projected and required financing of water services infrastructure, which is caused by unviable pricing and/or cost‐recovery regimes. Globally there is a growing funding gap in rehabilitation, renewal, and replacement of aging water infrastructure and the need for future greenfield investments. Underpricing of water services and the need for rehabilitation seem to be worldwide phenomena. There are diverse constraints in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co‐Operation and Development) and non‐OECD countries contributing to underpriced water services; however, the message is clear: the global water industry must stop underpricing precious water resources. Future enjoyment of sustainable water services will require customers to bear all or at least a major part of the costs. Better awareness of broader economic and social benefits of water supply, and particularly of sanitation, also will be needed.

Resilient Asset Management and Governance Fordeteriorating Water Services Infrastructure

Abstract This paper argues that strategic asset management and a sound regulatory regime are required urgently if we want to change the current paradigm of aging and decaying water services infrastructure and expand the coverage of improved water services in the developing economies. In the OECD countries access to safe water supply and sanitation has largely been ensured through substantial investment over many decades. Yet, significant investments will still be required to rehabilitate the existing infrastructures, to bring them into conformity with more stringent environmental and health regulations, and to maintain service quality in the future. In the non-OECD countries the challenges are more daunting. Large parts of their population have no access and many suffer from unsatisfactory services. Nearly one billion people lack access to clean drinking water and 2.6 billion people lack access to improved sanitation services.Lack of sound economic regulatory frameworks and enforcement regimes, and poor asset management practices, in particular underpricing of water services is a common problem throughout the world.