Financing Sustainable Water Service Delivery of Small Town Water Systems in Ghana: The Gaps and Needs

Abstract

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.

Rural water asset management practices in Ghana: the gaps and needs

“…However, community interviews – alongside the high rates of nonfunctional systems demonstrates that often communities are unable to mobilise funds in a timely manner leading to a considerable time lag between failure and eventual repair – a ‘slow response fix on failure’. This finding is in line with Burr et al , ; Braimah et al , ; Kumasi et al , ; Kumasi, …”

“…The two older systems were in Salaga and Kpalbe. The Salaga system had completed a major rehabilitation with funding from the World Bank, Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development and the District Assembly and currently working though the Kpalbe system which was partially functioning is presently nonfunctional as reported by Kumasi et al (2017) and Kumasi (2018).…”

“…However, a study of Capital Maintenance Expenditure of small town water teams by Asante (2013) noted that none of the Water and Sanitation Management Teams sampled had received monies from the district assemblies into their capital accounts. Further, as shown by Adank et al (2013), Kumasi et al (2017) and Kumasi (2018) Water and Sanitation Management Teams do not tend to charge a tariff that is sufficient enough to service capital maintenance requirements.…”

“…Allied to this, water service providers, particularly in rural areas, often fail to perform the necessary ongoing preventative maintenance of key infrastructure. This hastens the rate of breakdown of system components, causing gradual decline of services over time to the point of complete failure (Burr et al , ; Kumasi et al , ; Kumasi, ).…”

“…Allied to this, water service providers, particularly in rural areas, often fail to perform the necessary ongoing preventative maintenance of key infrastructure. This hastens the rate of breakdown of system components, causing gradual decline of services over time to the point of complete failure (Burr et al, 2013;Kumasi et al, 2017;Kumasi, 2018). Therefore, with more and more communities being provided with first-time services, and the stock of fixed asset in rural areas growing, it is increasingly important for actors in the development sector to think systematically about ways in which expensive water supply assets can be maintained and managed in a more cost-effective manner, whilst safeguarding continuity in service delivery.…”