This working paper presents findings and recommendations from the application of a life-cycle costs approach (LCCA) to water supply services in rural communities and small towns1 in four countries -- Andhra Pradesh (India), Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mozambique.
- The WASHCost project has analysed actual financial expenditure made in each country on point sources (boreholes with handpumps) and on a range of small, medium and larger scale small town piped networks. Expenditure on eachof these models of water supply is compared to the level of service actually provided to users.
- There is chronic underfunding of rural water services, to meet the costs required to provide and sustain a basic level of service that meets national norms and standards.
- Even where communities appear innational or international databases as having access to an improved water source and therefore as "covered", mostpeople who live there do not receive a minimum basic level of service.
- There are large data gaps that need to be filled so that plans and budgets prepared by governments and donors can be based on the realities of water service provision.
- The capital cost benchmarks for preparing and installing a borehole and handpump (at 2011 prices) range fromUS$ 20 per person3 to just over US$ 60 per person.
- For small piped schemes, including mechanised boreholes, costs range from US$ 30 to just over US$ 130 per person.
- For intermediate and larger schemes, benchmark capital costs vary widely from US$ 20 to US$ 152 per person.
- Recurrent costs benchmarks range from US$ 3 to US$ 6 per person per year for boreholes and handpumps, and from US$ 3 to US$ 15 per person per year for piped schemes. Actual expenditure on recurrent costs is a tiny fraction of these amounts.
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- Copyright 2013 IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.
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Geography
- Africa (Western) / Ghana
- Asia (Southeastern) / India
- Africa (Western) / Burkina Faso
- Africa (Southeastern) / Mozambique
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