Session FT 3.52

Appropriate operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities

 

 

 

 

 

Conveners

• National Institute of Public Health, NIPH
• Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA
• International Water Association, IWA, and
• Operation and Maintenance Network, OMN
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To achieve the millennium development goals, the effective management of water supply and sanitation systems is a key. The good combination of appropriate operation, maintenance and management is an essential factor for the sustainable use of water supply and sanitation facilities, which would not work well without it and, consequently, cause the waste of investments even if they are designed properly. This is the reason why high attention must be paid to operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities.
The objective of the session was to discuss important factors for the improvement of operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities through exchanging information and sharing experiences on good examples around the world. A new IWA-OMN joint activity with an aim to support its improvement was also proposed in the session. The expected outputs of the session included prioritization of key factors and identification of future directions.

 

Lessons learned and key messages

 

Maintaining the sustainability of water supply includes several key factors that are to be prioritised :

1. ownership development
2. coordination between hardware (design of facilities and robust water distribution system) and software (capacity building and water quality management),
3. improvement of the motivation of the staffs,
4. and full cost recovery system with helping the poor in small water supply system, even in small water supply system. 
5. Information exchange and sharing experiences on sustainable operation, maintenance and management are indispensable for the achievement of the millennium development goals.

 

Recommendations for action

 

The improvement of operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities is very important in order to achieve the millennium development goals. The key issues for its improvement in local development projects include:

1. Careful consideration on local conditions,
   
2. Application of low-cost, appropriate and environment-friendly technologies,
   
3. Ownership development and coordination between hardware and software
   
4. Development of a supporting system by developed countries
5. Information exchange and sharing experiences
   

 

Local Actions presented

 

Project on Capacity Building for Water Supply System in Cambodia

Visoth Chea, Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority

This action showed the efficiency of capacity building and important aspects for ensuring sustainability are ownership development and coordination between hardware (facilities construction) and software (capacity building). The operation and maintenance of facilities and the management of a system were successfully implemented under a good master plan and good coordination among implementation bodies and funding agencies. Another important factor was the motivation of staff, for example, by raising their salary and improving their work condition.

 

Safe Water and Support for Community Activities

Masse Niang and Aminata Sow Gueye, Direction of Exploitation and Maintenance, Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulics, Senegal

 

They pointed out the importance of sustainability of a system was supported by full cost recovery with helping the poor in small water supply system.  Information exchange and sharing experiences on sustainable operation, maintenance and management were also highly effective.

 

Improvement of Water Supply Management in Mexico City

Beatriz Santamaria Ramirez, Water Quality Control Central Laboratory of Water System, Mexico City

 

This action showed the importance of water quality management in operation of the system.