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

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.

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-231
Author(s):  
A. H. Lobbrecht

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Patrick Adadzi ◽  
Harrison Coffie ◽  
Emmanuel Afetorgbor

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.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1050
Author(s):  
Ruben Jimenez-Redal ◽  
Germán Arana-Landín ◽  
Beñat Landeta ◽  
Jaime Larumbe

Developing understanding of the economic value that communities ascribe to improved operations and maintenance (O&M) services has emerged as a key factor in achieving financial sustainability for rural water systems. The present study elicits household willingness to pay (WTP) for improved O&M services in eight gravity-fed water schemes in Idjwi Island (Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC). A contingent valuation survey was implemented through an open-ended format questionnaire to 1105 heads of household and a log-linear regression model was employed to assess the factors influencing higher values. Findings show an average willingness to pay of 327 Congolese Francs (CDF) per month and 36 CDF per bucket. Results also indicate a significant WTP differential among studied schemes. The analysis of the conditioning factors reveals that the level of excludability, the participation in management meetings and the time employed in fetching water from an improved source are contingent with their WTP. The findings of this study are important for development agents trying to establish acceptable, affordable and practicable tariffs that help finance reliable rural water systems in Idjwi.


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