WASH Technology

Below is the abstract of the paper by Sally Sutton, which she presented at the 33rd WEDC International Conference in Accra, Ghana, 2008

The MDG indicator for access to safe water equates technology with water quality based largely on designed rather than observed capacity to block routes of faecal contamination. This is a useful driver for donor and government investment in rural water supply, but breeds donor dependency as generally accepted technologies are unaffordable to consumers. Sparse data on water quality suggest a need for greater data collection and more objective assessment of the real improvements being achieved for the donor-dependent investments being made, which are leading to very slow rates of progress. Broadening technology options to include progressively improved household access and water treatment may increase rates of progress, and cost-effectiveness and improve the lot of many more consumers without jeopardising water quality.

Read the full paper here

For more rural water supply technology go to the Rural Water Supply Network web site