scholarly journals Does sense of ownership matter for rural water system sustainability? Evidence from Kenya

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J. Marks ◽  
Kyle Onda ◽  
Jennifer Davis
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water System ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Sense Of Ownership ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
System Sustainability

Community sense of ownership for rural water infrastructure is widely cited as a key factor in ensuring sustainable service delivery, but no empirical investigation has evaluated the relationship between sense of ownership and sustainability outcomes. This study examines the association between system sustainability and sense of ownership among households and water committees, using primary data collected throughout 50 rural communities with piped water systems in Kenya. Data sources include in-person interviews with 1,916 households, 312 water committee members and 50 system operators, as well as technical assessments of water systems. Using principal components analysis we create composite measures of system sustainability (infrastructure condition, users' confidence, and ongoing management), and of water committees' and households' sense of ownership for the system. All else held constant, infrastructure condition is positively associated with water committee members' sense of ownership, whereas users' confidence and system management are positively associated with households' sense of ownership. These findings stand in contrast with much of the published literature on rural water planning, which assumes homogeneity of ownership feelings across all members of a community and which suggests a consistent and positive association between households' sense of ownership and sustainability.

Design of rural water systems using dynamic models

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-231
Author(s):  
A. H. Lobbrecht
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Water System ◽  
Design Procedure ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Design Methods ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Rural Water Systems ◽  
The Way

The properties of main water ways and infrastructure of rural water systems are often determined by very general design methods. These methods are based on standards that use only little information of the actual water system. Most design methods applied in the Netherlands are based on land use and soil texture. Standards have been developed on the basis of generalized properties of water systems. Details of the actual layout of the water system and the way in which that system is controlled, are usually not incorporated. Present-day dynamic simulation programs and the computer power currently available enable more detailed modeling and incorporation of location-specific data into models. Such models can be used to design the water system and can include real data. A model-based design method is introduced, in which the actual situation of the water system is taken into consideration as well as the way in which the water system is controlled. Stochastics concerning the operation and availability of controlling infrastructure are included in the method. Models can be evaluated by including real data. In this way the actual safety of the water system, for example during floods, can be determined. Water-quantity design criteria can be incorporated as well as water-quality criteria. Application of the method makes it possible to design safe water systems in which excess capacities are avoided and in which all requirements of interest are met. The method, called the ‘dynamic design procedure’, can result in considerable savings for water authorities when new systems have to be designed or existing designs have to be reconsidered.

Assessing sustainability of community management of rural water systems in the developing world

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan W. Schweitzer ◽  
James R. Mihelcic
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Weighting Factor ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Stratified Sample ◽  
Rural Water Systems

An alarmingly high percentage of drinking water systems in the developing world do not provide design service, or may even fail. This has health implications for vulnerable populations forced to consume water from alternative, often unimproved sources. The Sustainability Assessment Tool developed in this research serves as a diagnostic to inform decision-making, characterize specific needs of rural communities in the management of their water systems, and identify weaknesses in training regimes or support mechanisms. Fifteen specific measures result in a score of sustainability likely (SL), possible, or unlikely for eight indicators. A weighting factor is applied to each indicator to provide an overall sustainability score. The framework was tested on 61 statistically representative geographically stratified sample communities with rural water systems in the Dominican Republic. Twenty-three percent of systems were assessed to be SL, 59% sustainability possible, and for 18% it is unlikely the community will be able to overcome a significant challenge(s). As post-construction support increased so did community participation (p = 0.005) and financial durability (p = 0.004). Increased accounting transparency was correlated to increased compliance with user tariffs (p < 0.001) and system age was inversely correlated to transparency (p = 0.003) and community activity level (p = 0.005).

scholarly journals Developing Rural Water Systems: An Evaluation of Haiti’s First Chlorinated Municipal Water System in the Central Plateau

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron S. Gordon ◽  
Jeff Plumblee ◽  
David Vaughn
Keyword(s):  
Community Involvement ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Rural Water Systems

Haiti has the worst drinking-water indicators in the Western Hemisphere and access to improved water sources has not dramatically improved for over two decades. This limited success despite hefty investments can be attributed to a variety of reasons including lack of community involvement and lack of long-term support of operation and maintenance for rural water systems. This paper presents a case study of Haiti’s first municipal chlorinated water system in the rural Central Plateau and critically examines its effectiveness. While the technology behind the Cange water system is highly innovative and effective, its lack of community involvement and feasible operation/maintenance jeopardizes its long-term viability. Methods to sustain the system without major external intervention are currently being developed and attempted through a partnership with Haiti’s public water sector. NGOs and organizations should ensure that an appropriate community development framework is established prior to system installation so that these problems can be avoided.

scholarly journals Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Systems: A Case Study of Kwamekrom Water System in the Volta Region of Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Patrick Adadzi ◽  
Harrison Coffie ◽  
Emmanuel Afetorgbor
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
Rural Water Supply ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Volta Region

This paper review and analyze the sustainability of rural water systems facilitated by Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in Ghana in both their capacity to continue to deliver adequate, safe and quality water for all the people of Kwamekrom township and surrounding villages. The paper focus on a case study of the sustainability of small-town piped water systems; the main used technology in rural areas of the Volta Region in Ghana. Part of the project was the implementation of infrastructure and building capacities in the community to manage and use their system after project completion. A recent development is that CWSA is shifting from community ownership and management (COM) towards participation in management, a shift that is expected to ensure the sustainability of the water systems. The study aimed to analyze the viability of the Kwamekrom water supply system in the Volta Region of Ghana, which was under the COM system utilizing a survey mechanism. The study revealed based on performance indexes indicated that the Kwamekrom water system was not sustainable under the COM. The result was mainly due to poor financial management and lack of adequate technical expertise coupled with socio-political impact under the COM. The new reform towards participation in the management of rural water supply is, therefore, an approach which could lead to sustainability.

scholarly journals Stakeholders’ View of Sustainability of Public Water Supply Schemes in a Rural Area: The Case of Muyuka Subdivision, Cameroon

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Finley Mbah ◽  
Rene Nkenyi ◽  
Delvis Fru
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water System ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Available Water ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
Household Heads

Background and Aim: It is certain that without readily available water in sufficient quantity, and free of pathogens, man's progress is tremendously hindered. In Muyuka, Cameroon, though there exist public taps littered “here and there”, the population most often find themselves fetching water from nearby streams raising to surface the question of sustainability of the available water systems which was the aim of this study. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytic study targeting household heads and water committee members in the rural communities of Muyuka. Three communities were randomly selected and from each, five quarters were randomly selected. In the quarters, convenience sampling technique was used for the household heads while snowball sampling technique was used to get the water committee members. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used and data analyzed using R. Results: A total of 371 persons participated in the study. The average number of years lived in the community was 22.08 (SD=10.61) and ranged from 10 to 66. Only 13.00% of the participant didn’t see the water system as challenging while 81.5% finds it to be severely problematic. Utilization of water averaged far less than the 50L/person/day and the situation worsened as the household size increased. Close to half (49.6%) of participants did not participate at any stage in the development of the water system. According to the participants, water systems breaks down averagely 3 times in a year and last for about 67 days before being repaired. Water committee members reported difficulties in accessing spare parts and inadequacy in their training.   Conclusion: Frequent breakdown of the water schemes compounded by the unavailability of spare parts and hence delays in repairs, and in expansion, user dissatisfaction and unwillingness to pay their bills; inadequacy in training of water committee members, has resulted in poor sustainability of the water system.

scholarly journals Water Stagnation and Flow Obstruction Reduces the Quality of Potable Water and Increases the Risk of Legionelloses

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Atif Nisar ◽  
Kirstin E. Ross ◽  
Melissa H. Brown ◽  
Richard Bentham ◽  
Harriet Whiley
Keyword(s):  
Potable Water ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Water System ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Stagnation Points ◽  
Plumbing Systems ◽  
The Impact

Legionella is an opportunistic waterborne pathogen associated with Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever. Despite improved public awareness, the incidence of Legionella associated infections has been increasing. Aerosols generated from engineered potable water systems are a demonstrated cause of both nosocomial and community-acquired legionellosis. The ecology of Legionella in these systems is complex with multiple factors impacting their colonization and persistence. Flow dynamics has been identified as an important factor and stagnation in cooling towers is an accepted risk for increased Legionella growth; however, less is known about the impact of flow dynamic on Legionella in potable water systems. This is especially complex due to the inherent intermittent and variable usage observed within outlets of a potable water system. This systematic literature review examines the role of fluid dynamics and stagnation on the colonization and growth of Legionella in potable water systems. Twenty two of 24 identified studies show a positive association between stagnation zones and increased colonization of Legionella. These zones included dead legs, dead ends, storage tanks, and obstructed water flow (such as intermittent usage or flow restriction). Prolonged stagnation in building plumbing systems also deteriorates the quality of thermally or chemically treated potable water. This stimulates the colonization of Legionella established biofilms. Such biofilms are intrinsically resistant to disinfection procedures and accelerate the rate of decay of chemical disinfectants. Sub-lethal doses of disinfectants and the presence of protozoan hosts in stationary water promote generation of viable but non-culturable Legionella cells. This results in false negatives in surveillance methods that use culture methodology. In conclusion, elimination of temporal and permanent stagnation points can improve the quality of potable water, efficacy of disinfectants, and reduce the risk of legionellosis. Current guidelines and water safety plans recognize the risks associated with permanent stagnation point (dead ends and dead legs); however, there is a need for greater emphasis on controlling temporal stagnation arising from intermittent usage.

scholarly journals Drivers of Price and Nonprice Water Conservation by Urban and Rural Water Utilities: An Application of Predictive Models to Four Southern States

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher N. Boyer ◽  
Damian C. Adams ◽  
Tatiana Borisova
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Future Planning ◽  
Conservation Programs ◽  
Southern States ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
Planning Strategies ◽  
System Characteristics

This study examines water system characteristics, managers' attitudes and perceptions toward water conservation, and future planning strategies that influence the adoption of water conservation programs for urban and rural communities. We surveyed water system managers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida; and we parameterized predictive adoption models for price-based (PC) and nonprice-based (NPC) conservation programs. Notably, results suggest that information about the price elasticity of water demand for a community does encourage PC and NPC adoption; and we found no evidence that PC and NPC adoption is jointly considered by water systems.

scholarly journals Rural Water Collection Patterns: Combining Smart Meter Data with User Experiences in Tanzania

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1164
Author(s):  
Will Ingram ◽  
Fayyaz Ali Memon
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Smart Meters ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Water Collection ◽  
Sub Saharan

Water collection from piped water distribution systems (PWSs) in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa is not understood in much detail. Here, distances travelled to distribution points (DPs), volumes collected, times of day of collection, and the relationship between location of DP and volume dispensed are investigated in a rural community in Tanzania using a combination of novel smart pre-payment meters and results from surveys and interviews. Continuous availability of water through pre-payment smart meters is shown to eliminate queue time, freeing time for farming or schooling, and enhance revenue collection for service provision. 97% of users use DPs as a main source of drinking water as opposed to unimproved alternative sources, and 42% live further than 400 m from a DP. Collection occurs across daylight with greater volumes dispensed in the afternoon–evening due to free time from economic activities and children returning from school. A low mean daily collection of 47 L per household from DPs is approximated. Volume dispensed across different DPs over time shows no clear pattern. However, the volume dispensed is indicated by the number of households that use each DP. Increasing PWS capacity can accommodate for variable collection patterns, and help improve sustainability of rural water supply.

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