Publication: Provision of Water to the Poor in Africa : Experience with Water Standposts and the Informal Water Sector
Date
2010-07-01
ISSN
Published
2010-07-01
Author(s)
Abstract
Standpipes that dispense water from
utilities are the most common alternatives to piped water
connections for poor customers in the cities of Sub-Saharan
Africa. Fifty-five percent of the unconnected urban
population relies on standpipes as their first water source.
Other informal water providers include household resellers
and a variety of water tankers and vendors, which are the
first water source of 1 percent and 3 percent of the urban
population, respectively. In the cities studied, the
percentage of unconnected households ranges from 12 percent
to 86 percent of the population. The percentage of
unconnected people covered by standpipes is substantially
higher for countries with higher rates of household
connection, while the percentage of unconnected people
covered by water tankers or water vendors is higher for
countries with lower rates of household connection. Water
prices in the informal market are much higher than for
households with private connections or yard taps. Although
standpipes are heavily subsidized by utilities, the prices
charged by standpipe operators are closely related to the
informal water reseller price. Standpipe management models
also affect the informal price of water. For example, the
shift from utilities management to delegated management
models without complementary regulation or consumer
information has often led to declines in service levels and
increased prices. Standpipes are not the only or even the
most efficient solution in peri-urban areas. Programs that
promote private household connections and arrangements that
improve pricing and services in the household resale market
should also be considered by policy makers.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Keener, Sarah; Luengo, Manuel; Banerjee, Sudeshna. 2010. Provision of Water to the Poor in Africa : Experience with Water Standposts and the Informal Water Sector. Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5387. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3871 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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