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Rural water coverage in Ghana is on the increase, yet there are real concerns about the level of service received and sustainability of water supply systems. One of the reasons is the lack of systematic maintenance because of inadequate funding and unreliable cash flow for Capital Maintenance Expenditure. This paper highlights the current gaps and needs of water management models in three districts using focus group discussion and key informant interviews to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The study revealed that the mechanism inherent in the National Community Water and Sanitation Strategy for addressing Capital Maintenance Expenditure works for systems that have been implementing it. Limited capacity and weak management characterize water systems with inadequate mechanism to address Capital Maintenance. Results showed limited awareness and application of water sector guidelines for the management of the piped systems by the management models and the districts. This paper contributes to the literature on funding mechanisms for small town systems sustainable water delivery in Ghana. The study concludes that to effectively address sustainable water delivery in small town systems, governance, operations and financial management regimes in line with the water sector guidelines are critical to bring about the necessary change in the management models. This calls for stronger supervisory and oversight responsibilities from Community Water and Sanitation Agency and the District Assemblies.

The Barekese Reservoir is a facility for reserving water for treatment and subsequent consumption by the populace of the Kumasi conurbation and its environs. The reservoir provides over 80% of the total public water supply to the Kumasi locale and is plagued by persistent degradation through human activities throughout the catchment. This situation raises concern on the regional deterioration of water quality and quantity. We present the attitudes of local communities towards their involvement in river water management and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources. We administered both open ended and closed structured questionnaires in seven communities in the reservoir catchment. The results revealed that individual residents in these communities have not been involved in the management of the reservoir, adversely affecting goals of sustainable management. Our study concludes with direct policy recommendations and applications in four specific areas to arrive at sustainable management of the facility by involving affected communities through their inclusion in: ongoing and proposed project development as shareholders; the review of existing environmental legislation; adopting of indigenous knowledge in management institutions; and the re-introduction of norms and traditions within the communities.Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.

The article discusses the level of user satisfaction with actual handpump service levels and performance of service providers. In this paper, we outline some contradiction between actual service levels, performance of service providers and perception of water users. The findings suggest that users appeared satisfied with quantity and reliability of water facilities. In contrast, they were not satisfied with the time it takes them to access water, especially when the quantity of water diminishes. The sad irony is that tariffs are perceived affordable yet users are unwilling to pay for water. Their responses paint a picture of a payment system that is geared at reactive maintenance over preventative maintenance regime. It is worth noting here that this phenomenon raises questions on the sustainability of water systems when sound financial management is key to sustaining services. Service providers were perceived to perform better than they actually did. Perhaps this was due to lack of information and ignorance on the roles of service providers. In this regard it is imperative that the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), implementing partners, the district assemblies and Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMTs) take steps to address the technical, social, financial and institutional factors during the planning, implementation and post-construction support which invariably affect sustainability.