Application of the Water Service Sustainability Index to water services in sub-Saharan Africa: the case studies of eight councils in the Southern region of Cameroon (Central Africa)

A water distribution network faces a number of problems associated with its continuous aging process, including water loss. Nonrevenue water (NRW) is the water that is produced by a water utility but not sold to customers. This study aimed to update nonrevenue water (NRW) estimations in the water supply network in Cameroon to identify challenges in reducing the NRW in the country, as this approach is applicable in sub-Saharan African environments with similar affinity patterns. Data on water supply access in Cameroon were collected from the Joint Monitoring Program of the WHO and UNICEF, the IBNET, the Central Bureau of the Census and Population Studies of Cameroon, and the Demographic Health Survey. Microsoft Excel was used to assess the NRW volume based on the Wyatt/IDB methodology, including calculations of the supplied population, domestic consumption, nondomestic consumption, system input volume, and NRW. The results indicate that the global volume of NRW in the water supply network in Cameroon was 84.7 million cubic meters per year, including 82.4 million cubic meters in urban areas and 2.2 million cubic meters in rural areas. The cost/value of the water lost per year was 28.6 billion CFA francs (USD 47.6 million). This high level of water loss, particularly in urban areas, had an impact on the financial viability of the Camwater. Indeed, as of December 31, 2020, the liquidity ratio of 0.89 indicates that Camwater's activities do not generate enough cash to meet short-term commitments, while the solvency ratio of 2.2 indicates high long-term debt relative to the level of equity. By cutting Cameroon’s NRW to half its present level, approximately 1.2 million people could be supplied, including 1.1 million in urban areas and 100,000 in rural areas. The findings also suggest that a high level of NRW is influenced by rapid urbanization, outdated infrastructure, and a high level of poor operation and maintenance, including an ineffective record-keeping system and inadequate technical skills and technology.

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Functionality of water supply handpumps in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of data from Cameroon (Central Africa)

Mvongo,

Defo

2024

Preprint

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This review presents updated and expanded handpump functionality estimates for 310 councils in the ten regions of Cameroon. Overall, the study estimates that the number of handpumps used as the main source of drinking water supply in Cameroon is 20,572, of which 9,113 are installed in protected hand dug wells (wells) and 11,459 in boreholes. Our findings suggest that about one in three handpumps in Cameroon is nonfunctional, which in 2022 was roughly equivalent to 6,724 inoperative water points. According to this estimate, it is about 44.8 billion CFA francs, or 66.8 million USD, was invested in the construction of water points that are immobilized and do not generate any benefit. The review has found that the community-based management of handpump water supply seems not to have given the expected results. Further, there are questions in relation to the quality of handpump material and the corrosion of handpumps which have not been sufficiently taken into account in the various research projects in Cameroon and Sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, the implementation of post-construction monitoring, physical audits, and handpump rehabilitation campaigns could shed light on these issues in order to improve the performance of handpumps.

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Application of the Water Service Sustainability Index to water services in sub-Saharan Africa: the case studies of eight councils in the Southern region of Cameroon (Central Africa)

Cited by 10 publications

References 31 publications

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of Water Service Sustainability Index

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of Water Service Sustainability Index

Quantifying the nonrevenue water problem in a sub-Saharan African environment: a practical application in the Republic of Cameroon (Central Africa)

Functionality of water supply handpumps in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of data from Cameroon (Central Africa)

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