Factors influencing selection of drinking water technologies for urban informal settlements in Kampala

Abstract

Access to drinking water in urban informal settlements of developing countries still remains a challenge for the poor and depends on technology selected. This paper determines the score on criteria used for technology selection by two major stakeholders in the water service delivery chain, the users and the utility. The criteria are: affordability to connect, affordability of consumption, method of payment, ease of operation, ease of spare parts acquisition, access distance, access time, generating sufficient water continuously, service coverage, the possibility of cost recovery and security of installation (SOI). The study was carried out in Bwaise II and Kisenyi III, two informal settlements in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Through a household survey and semistructured interviews of key informants, data were collected for the score on these criteria of four piped water distribution technologies: public water points (PWPs) with conventional meters, PWPs with prepaid meters, house connections and yard taps. Using multicriteria methods and preference elicitation by pair wise ranking, the most preferred factor for technology selection from the users' point of view is affordability to connect, while from the utility's point of view, it is SOI. These preferences were confirmed by data from focus group discussions and in‐depth interviews.

Navigating Data Uncertainty and Modeling Assumptions in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment in an Informal Settlement in Kampala, Uganda

“…Considering risk perception as well as the complexity of health challenges related to water and sanitationincluding economic, social, cultural, and political factors − could lead to improved risk management. In particular, Bwaise is a settlement with a transient population, as pointed out in previous studies , and evidenced by surveys from this study, indicating that approximately 52% of respondents had lived there for 10 years or less. Additionally, the majority of surveys indicated that women are typically responsible for both water collection (78% of respondents) and treatment (96% of respondents).…”

“…To this end, this study explores opportunities to improve the utility of QMRA for decision-making in resource-limited settings by focusing on the application of QMRA to WaSH in Bwaise, an informal settlement in Kampala, Uganda, as a case study that can be replicated elsewhere. Challenges surrounding water (e.g., affordability and travel distances), sanitation (e.g., difficulty in latrine emptying), and hygiene in Bwaise have been highlighted in previous studies. − In particular, Katukiza and colleagues performed QMRA to characterize health risks from Escherichia coli, Salmonella, rotavirus, and adenovirus in drinking water, gray water, surface water, and soil . The present study builds on this previous work by including an additional exposure pathway (hand-to-mouth contact) and integrating comprehensive uncertainty and sensitivity analyses across the QMRA framework.…”

Is water carriage associated with the water carrier’s health? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

“…There is moderate quantitative evidence and strong qualitative evidence that vulnerable people are at risk of discrimination or physical, sexual and psychological abuse while they collect water ( tables 3 and 4 ). The studies in this review provide rich qualitative evidence in good, 49 51 54 55 57 fair 31 47 48 and poor quality studies 32 50 58 from 31 countries, and good, 30 fair 31 37 or poor 31 32 35 41 42 quantitative evidence from 6 countries ( table 9 ). People may be vulnerable because of age, gender, disability, health status or ethnicity.…”

Study on the Countermeasures of Ensuring Drinking Water Security in Shanshan County of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China

“…The water source of The First Water Supply and Drainage Company is groundwater. The Second Water Supply and Drainage Company's water source used to be deep underground well water [6], but it has gradually changed to surface water. Shanshan's rural drinking water is primarily a centralized water supply.…”