Operation and Maintenance of

Rural Water Supply Facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

For Public Relations1

Operation and Maintenance of

Rural Water Supply Facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

For Public Relations2

Mtuwara District, Tanzania

Murama TA, Rwanda

Adoption of Appropriate TechnologiesRural Water Supply Project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Adoption of Appropriate TechnologiesRural Water Supply Project in Sub-Saharan Africa

For rural water supply in developing countries, adoption of “appropriate

technologies” with the following advantages compared to the current technologies

is expected.

・　 Suitable to the local conditions

・　 Use of the locally available resources

・　 Limited initial investment, and possible fast diffusion with a small budget

・　 Low cost on O & M, and high sustainability

Problems in current technologiesCostly mechanical borehole drilling (especially for shallow groundwater) 　　Many hand pump types are repairable on community level but setting up of a spare parts supply chain is difficult due to the unproductiveness of the work in many countries and the need to import spare parts and consumables.Operation and maintenance of a treatment plant with rapid filtration is costly because of needs for chemicals and skilled operators for appropriate adjustment.

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Adoption of Appropriate Technologies– Promotion of Rope Pump with Improved Traditional Well

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Ethiopia: Water Sector Capacity Improvement Project in SNNP State

Characteristics• Prevention of water contamination• Low production, setting up and repair costs• Easy manufacture, construction and maintenance• Materials from users’ own backyards• Practicable coupling with traditional well

Characteristics• Prevention of water contamination• Low production, setting up and repair costs• Easy manufacture, construction and maintenance• Materials from users’ own backyards• Practicable coupling with traditional well

Technical Issues

• Inefficient for deep wells

• Limited discharge; suitable for around 100 users or less

• Difficult quality control against counterfeit

Technical Issues

• Inefficient for deep wells

• Limited discharge; suitable for around 100 users or less

• Difficult quality control against counterfeit

Slow sand filtration : treatment system of low cost and easy operation 　

Through this project, approximately 11,000 people are benefited with safe water supply. The development of Slow Sand Filtration System to the other towns is being planned. This way of switching purification system is considered to be a national standard for rehabilitation of town water supply system.

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Sierra Leone: Project for Improvement of Water Supply System in Kambia District

Skilled operators and

constant dosing of

chemicals are required

Rapid Sand Filtration System

Acceptable Water Quality

Adoption of Appropriate Technologies - Treatment with Slow Sand Filtration -

Destroyed during the Civil

War“Slow Sand

Filtration System”Easy O&MLow cost treatment Sustainable under New Local Government

Slow Sand Filtration Pond and Pump House, Rokpur Treatment Plant

　　　 Need for Water Rate System to SpreadRural Water Supply Project in Sub-Saharan

Africa

　　　 Need for Water Rate System to SpreadRural Water Supply Project in Sub-Saharan

Africa

Cost Recovery as a Rule – Users’ Responsibility to Bear the O & M Cost- For Hand pumps: costs for replacement of parts, repair of breakdown, renewal of hand pump, etc.- For Piped Water System: operation cost (power/fuel, repair), personnel cost

Delay of fee collection causes stoppage of water supply, and this situation→ Makes users return to previous, unsafe and far water sources;→ Leads to health problems, such as an outbreak of cholera; and→ Deprive the opportunities of productive activities and schooling due to the needs to fetch water from a distant source.

Why water rate is not firmly established? No awareness of the necessity to pay on the part of the people 　 Mistrust on fee collection and financial management

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Projects towards: • Motivation to pay for water • Enhancement of management capacity

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Motivation to Pay Water Fee with Hygiene Education

Intelligible hygiene education with picture-story in local language (Senegal)

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Improve Users’ Hygiene Consciousness

Encourage Willingness to Pay for O & M

Improve Sustainability of O & M

Conduct Hygiene Education for Users

Development of educational tools and sharing them with other donors – picture

story in local languages -

Making the community aware of the importance of paying for the use of facility through a trial calculation of economic losses, such as the cost of medical treatment as a result of drinking unsafe water.

Spreading Water Rate System

Senegal: Project for Safe Drinking Water and Community Activities (PEPTAC)

Capacity Development for Financial Management

Tap managers collect water fee by the container at the public taps 　

Training for Treasurers

Setting Rate Fee Collection Financial Management / Investment

Users’ Independent

O & M

Capacity Development of Tap Manager for

Reliable fee collection Periodic money transfer

with reporting

Capacity Development of treasures in Water Users’

Associations

Controlling Water Supply Cost

Smooth and Transparent Fee

Collection

Reliable Financial Management

- Keeping records and evidences of payment following the manual for bookkeeping

- Reporting monthlyCollected money is regularly transferred on the fixed day of a week8

Spreading Water Rate System

Rwanda: Project for Improvement of Water and Sanitation in Eastern Province (PURA-SANI)

Operation & Maintenance of Borehole with hand pumpWhy it has not been sustainable?

No repair technician nearby

No outlet of spare parts available near the users

No support from the government for isolated villages

Limited government capacity to

support communities

Capacity Building of Local MechanicsTraining, keeping and improvement of technical skillsMonitoring of the tool kit leasing system to prevent worn-out or losing toolsSetting up Spare Parts Supply ChainTraining and establishment of outletsImproved sustainability through the provision of seed stock to create the revolving fund

Strengthening Cooperation among Local Government, Communities

and Local MechanicsQualification and validation of technical skills and performance

Proactive Approaches in JICA’s Projects

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Maintenance of Hand PumpsRural Water Supply Project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Maintenance of Hand PumpsRural Water Supply Project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Spare Parts Supply Chain 　　

Spare Parts Wholesaler

PROJECT (SOMAP)Seed Stock Sensitisation

Spare Parts Outlets(Commercial Utilities for Town Water Supply or District Offices)

Community

①

⑥⑦④ Pay

③

Spare Parts Outlet established under SOMAP Project (Mumbwa, Zambia)

Establishment of Spare Parts Supply ChainSet up spare parts outlets at Commercial Utilities for the rural town water supplyProvision of seed stock parts to create the revolving　　 fund

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Project for the Sustainable Operation and Maintenance for Rural Water Supply (SOMAP)

The Project has wholly supported the O & M component of the National Rural Water Supply Programme , developed Guidelines and a Manual, and demonstrated their effectiveness in Zambia.

Maintenance of Hand Pumps

　 Revolving Fund　　 Parts 　 　　：Payment

PROJECT (SOMAP)Sensitisation Training /Orientation Training

Community Area Development Committee (A D C)

District Council

Area Pump Mender (APM)

Repa

ir

Lending Tool

Kit

Training of Mechanics and Monitoring Their Performances through Tools Lending System

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Issues on Area Pump Menders Keeping the necessary technical level Wear and tear or loss of repair tools makes the repair work impossible

Introducing New Management System and Training under the Project

Lending tool kits to area pump menders from the storage at the Area Health Center. Monitoring their performance through submitted records. 　 Development of the SOMAP Model, which combines the repair work with a spare parts supply chain.

Project for the Sustainable Operation and Maintenance for Rural Water Supply (SOMAP)

Maintenance of Hand Pumps

Licensing to Trained Pump Mechanics

Training of Mechanics

ID Card for Licensed

MechanicMechanic

District / Region

Community

Three Way Agreement

Repo

rt

Repair

Proper Perform

ance?

Allocation of mechanics based on the community list

Validity: 1 yearExtension of Validity:

2 years

Re-training / Cancellation

Yes

No

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Project for Promotion of Sustainability in Rural Water Supply, Hygiene and Sanitation in Zambezia Province, MozambiqueProject for Promotion of Sustainability in Rural Water Supply, Hygiene and Sanitation in Zambezia Province, Mozambique

<System>

　 Issuance of licenses carrying a validity period to mechanics　 Extension of license or re-training based on the evaluated performance　 Coordination among LGAs (District/ Region), communities and mechanics (Three-way Agreement)<Performance>　 Improvement of skills of mechanics　 Enhancement of the O & M system and improvement of the monitoring capacity of LGAs (District / Region)

<System>

　 Issuance of licenses carrying a validity period to mechanics　 Extension of license or re-training based on the evaluated performance　 Coordination among LGAs (District/ Region), communities and mechanics (Three-way Agreement)<Performance>　 Improvement of skills of mechanics　 Enhancement of the O & M system and improvement of the monitoring capacity of LGAs (District / Region)