Far from basic rules: social dynamics, legal regulations and access to household water in Northern Ghana, 1965–2012

Eguavoen, Irit

doi:10.1080/00083968.2013.827987

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Chronically low water consumption with an accompanying low revenue stream can lead to the deterioration of water systems, causing communities to move down on the ‘water ladder’ (WHO, 2015) and perpetuating the concept of water development in sub-Saharan Africa as a bidirectional process (Eguavoen, 2013). Conversely, high water consumption from PWSs is indicative of continued consumer demand while maximizing revenue, which in turn ensures that the service continues to function over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Piped water consumption in Ghana: A case study of temporal and spatial patterns of clean water demand relative to alternative water sources in rural small towns

Kulinkina

Kosinski

Liss

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

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Continuous access to adequate quantities of safe water is essential for human health and socioeconomic development. Piped water systems (PWSs) are an increasingly common type of water supply in rural African small towns. Despite providing the highest and most flexible level of service with better microbiological water quality to their users, these systems remain vulnerable to rural water sustainability challenges. We assessed temporal and spatial patterns in water consumption from public standpipes of four PWSs in Ghana in order to assess clean water demand relative to other available water sources. Low water consumption was evident in all study towns, which manifested temporally and spatially. Temporal variability in water consumption that is negatively correlated with rainfall is an indicator of rainwater preference when it is available. Furthermore, our findings show that standpipes in close proximity to alternative water sources such as streams and hand-dug wells suffer further reductions in water consumption. Qualitative data suggest that consumer demand in the study towns appears to be driven more by water quantity, accessibility, and perceived aesthetic water quality, as compared to microbiological water quality or price. In settings with chronic under-utilization of improved water sources, increasing water demand through household connections, improving water quality with respect to taste and appropriateness for laundry, and educating residents about health benefits of using piped water should be prioritized. Continued consumer demand and sufficient revenue generation are important attributes of a water service that ensure its function over time. Our findings suggest that analyzing water consumption of existing metered PWSs in combination with qualitative approaches may enable more efficient planning of community-based water supplies and support sustainable development.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%