No abstract

The manuscript describes a simplified methodology with which to assess the economic level of apparent losses (ELAL) in a water utility. This economic point corresponds to the break-even point for which the marginal benefit of increasing the frequency of the apparent losses’ reduction activities equalizes the marginal cost of their implementation. For this calculation, each apparent loss component, as defined by the International Water Association, has been subdivided into two additional categories. These categories have been established depending on how periodic activities conducted by the water utility to reduce apparent losses—namely water meter replacement and customers’ connection inspections—may affect their magnitude. It has been found that the ELAL is influenced by intervention costs, the degradation rate of the accuracy of water meters and water tariffs. In addition, this work defines a set of performance indicators to benchmark the apparent loss’s performance relative to the minimum achievable and optimum levels of the losses. Finally, two case studies on how the proposed calculation should be applied have been added to the appendices.

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.

Rapid urbanization in many African cities has had a significant impact on the basic water services in peri-urban areas, where providing services can be complex. In the city of Maputo, Mozambique, the initial uptake of new household connections following network construction in peri-urban areas was slow. Focus group discussions with residents and interviews with key actors revealed the importance of offering flexible payment options to the urban poor in order to increase the affordability of connection charges. Although the high connection fee was a constraint, residents were willing to pay if the charges were spread across several monthly instalments. These findings suggest that flexible payment arrangements for customers can both bring utility services within reach of low income households and expand the customer base for utility service providers.

For more than a decade, foreign aid-supported water interventions focusing on an increase in household private connections have been implemented in the small urban center of Wukro. However, little has been investigated about the effectiveness of these interventions in achieving equitable and inclusive access to water and sanitation for all, including the most vulnerable. With this purpose, a cross-sectional comparative analysis of service provision between the HIV-infected population (n = 199) and non-infected population (n = 199) was undertaken. Findings suggest significant inequalities regarding the primary water source, monthly expenditure in water, water consumption, and time employed to fetch water, as well as the type of toilet facility, number of users, and the time employed to access it. Results also show a reported feeling of discrimination with regard to service provision within the HIV-positive population. This study provides evidence on local-scale interventions increasing the number of household water connections but overlooking the pursuit of equity and inclusion for the most vulnerable. The study also presents recommendations on how to specifically target the needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS in order to achieve equitable and inclusive access to water and sanitation for all.