Communal water services still not up to scratch

The level of services that are delivered by many communal sources are so abysmal, that households with any disposable incomes invest in their own supply source as soon as possible. This is one of the observations made during the first day of the International Rural Water Services Symposium in Kampala. That might also explain why so many rural households switch to open ponds and rivers in many months of the year, it is easier than struggling with a drippy tap which may be a half hour walk from the house.

Participants also urged governments to strengthen village water management committees to ensure that water sources, like boreholes, do not break down shortly after construction. This was picked up by the local newspaper The New Vision in their article on the opening session of the event entitled Kampala, villages need sh2 trillion for water.

The International Symposium on Rural Water Services held in Uganda (13-15 April) proved to be a great success with more than 200 delegates from around the world attending the event. With representation from WSP, RWSN, SKAT, WaterAid and UNICEF, and a number of governmental officials including Hon. Maria Mutagamba, Minister of Water and Environment, Government of Uganda; Mr. David O.O. Obong (Permanent Secretary of Water and Environment, Uganda); and the Honorable Jennifer Namuyangu Byakatonda (State Minister for Water, Government of Uganda), the event provided a unique opportunity to launch the Triple-S initiative as well promote developments in the WASHCost programme.

More reactions on the symposium can be found on the symposium blog.