Urban and small town water supply management models in ghana
1. Urban and small town water
supply management models in
Ghana
Enoch Ofosu
blessedenoch@gmail.com
2. Global studies:
Urban management models
• Utility management
• Alternative service providers (private, NGO or community):
Relationship to source
Independent
(Independent
provider)
Dependent
(Intermediate provider)
Technology
employed
Grid or
network
Integrated
production /
generation with
transmission /
distribution
Purchasing water and
on-selling through mini-
grid / network
Point
source
Own source, fixed
location vendor
Connected to utility fixed
location vendor
Mobile
distribution
Own source, mobile
vendor
Purchase from utility
mobile vendor
3. Global studies: Defining small
towns
• 'Small towns are settlements that are sufficiently large and
dense to benefit from the economies of scale offered by piped
systems, but too small and dispersed to be efficiently
managed by a conventional urban water utility. They require
formal management arrangements, a legal basis for
ownership and management, and the ability to expand to
meet the growing demand for water. Small towns usually
have populations between 5,000 and 50,000, but can be
larger or smaller‘ (David and Pilgrim 2000)
• However it has been argued that:
– Small town water supply can be managed by “conventional” utilities
– The definition does not take into account the transition nature of small towns
– The definition focuses too much on piped water supply. Different technologies
could be appropriate in different parts of small towns
4. Global studies: Small town
management models
Model Community
management
Water board
management
Municipal
management
Private management Utility
management
Owner Community or Municipality / Local government Small private
company
State or
regional
company
Corporate
oversight
Water use association Water board Municipal
department
Delegated
private
operator
Small private
company
State or
regional
company
Operations Water use
association
Delegated
private
operator
Water
board
Delegated
private
operator
Municipal
department
Delegated
private
operator
Small private
company
State or
regional
company
5.
6. Institutional mapping of urban and
small town water supply in Ghana
• However, there is overlap on who is responsible for
what. Different definitions of small towns:
– National Water Policy (NWP) definition of a small town:“a community
that is not rural but is a small urban community, with population
between 2,000 to 30,000 that has been mandated by the relevant
authority(ies) to manage its own water and sanitation systems”.
– CWSA Small Towns Water and Sanitation Policy definition:
“communities of between 2,000 and 50,000 population who require
improved water supply and related sanitation facilities”.
– Ghana Statistical Service definition of urban communities:
communities with populations above 5,000
• Who is institutionally responsible for the unserved?
7. Direct
WSDB,
with
WATSAN
WSDB
with PO
Urban Water
Board
Management models for urban and small towns in Ghana
GWCL/AVRL
management
Intermediate
private
providers
Independent
private
providers
COM
system
GWCL
system
GWCLs
ystem
Private
system
GWCL
system
COM
system
COM
system
GWCL
system
Self supply
Household
system
Community management
Private
management
GWCL system,
through tanker
Bulk water
supply
Direct
WSDB
Direct
WSDB,
without
WATSAN
8. Management models for urban and small towns
Small townsUrban
Direct
WSDB
WSDB
with PO
Water
Board
Utility management
Intermediate
private
providers
Independent
private
providers
With
watsan
Without
watsan
Self supply Community managementPrivate management
GWCL/ AVRL
management
Self supply
Intermediate
private
providers
Independent
private
providers
Private management
9. GWCL/AVRL
Community
managed,
rural
Self supply
Private
management
Ghana management models – Support roles
Type of Model
Facilitation
Regulation:
tariff setting
Ownership
Implementation
GWCL
GoG/GWCL
GWCL/AVRL
PURC
Private
Private
Private Private
Private DA
DA
DA
CWSA
Regulation:
standard of service
PURC DA
Community
managed,
urban
GWCL/AVRL
AVRL?
GWCL/AVRL
GWCL/AVRL
AVRL?
Support
10. Urban models
• GWCL/AVRL management
• Intermediate service providers
– Tanker services
– Water vendors
– AVRL tanker services
• Community managed bulk supply: Urban
Water Management Board
• Small scale independent producers
12. Management and Operations
Management contract
Reports
Money flows
Ownership, Management and
operation of selling point
Ownership
Management of supply
Operations of supply
Water
vendor
Clients
Tankertransport
AVRL
GWCL
Management model: Intermediate service providers
Clients
Pay as you fetch
Pay in bulk
Pay in bulk
13. Contract
Money flows
Pay as you fetch
Pay per supply
Management of selling point
Ownership of selling point
Management and operation
of supply
Water vendor
Clients
TankerDistribution
AVRL (East Accra Regional Office)
Management model: AVRL tanker services
Coordinator
waybill
Operation of selling point
GWCLOwnership of supply system
Pays per supply commission
Waybill
Service fee
14. Ownership and oversight of the
(bulk) supply system
Management and operations
of (bulk) supply system
AVRL
GWCL
Management contract
Money flows
Management model: Urban Water Management Board
Water vendor
Regulation and tariff setting
for the bulk water supply
PURC
Clients
Pay as you fetch
Per supply
O&M of selling point
Water Board
Oversight and Management
of the selling points
Tankertransport
Per supply
Salary
waybill
15. Management model: Small scale independent producers
SSIP
Clients
Pay as you fetch
Ownership, Management and
operation
16. Small town models
• Direct WSDB management with watsan
• Direct WSDB management without watsan
• WSDB management with delegated
operations (Public-Private Partnership)
• WSDB management with delegated
operations in the Three District Water Supply
Scheme
• Direct WSDB management with bulk supply
17. Ownership and regulation
Management, Sanitation and
hygiene education
Operations
MMDA
CWSA Regional
office
Watsan
Water vendors
Management model: Direct WSDB management with watsan
20% commission
Facilitation
Daily submission
of revenues
Monthly transfer
of revenues
Standpost clients
Clients with HH
connection
Pay as
you fetch
Monthly
water bills
Reports
Money flows
(S)Elects representatives
WSDB
Operating staff
•Operations account
•Capital account (at least 20% of
monthly net revenue)
•Sanitation account: (at least 10% of
monthly net revenue)
18. Ownership and regulation
Management, Sanitation and
hygiene education
Operations
MMDA
CWSA Regional
office
Water vendor
Management model: Direct WSDB management without watsan
20% commission
EVORAP Project
staff
Facilitation
Standpost clients
Clients with HH
connection
Pay as
you fetch
Monthly
water bills
WSDB
Operating staff
Reports
Money flows
•Regular account
•Replacement account
19. Management model: WSDB management with delegated operations
(Public-Private Partnership)
Ownership and
regulation
Management
sanitation and
hygiene education
Operations
Private operator
O&M account: 75% of
revenues
WSDB
MMDA
CWSA Regional
office
Watsan
Water vendor
(keeps 20% of income)
15% to replacement
and rehabilitation
account
10% to sanitation and
hygiene account
Facilitation
Standpost clients
Clients with HH
connection
Pay as
you fetch
Monthly
water bills
5 year O&M contract agreement
Reports
Money flows
(S)Elects representatives
20. Management model: WSDB management with delegated operations in the
Three District Water Supply Scheme
Ownership and
regulation
Management
sanitation and
hygiene education
Operations
Private operator
O&M account: 70% of
revenues
WSDB
3 DAs
CWSA Regional
office
Watsan
2% to sanitation account
3% to replacement account
2% to WSDB
allowances
Facilitation
Standpost clients
Clients with HH
connection
Pay as
you fetch
Monthly
water bills
5 year O&M contract agreement
Reports
Money flows
(S)Elects representatives
3% to O&M (from
bulk water meter)
20% commission
Water vendor
Collected money
21. WSDB
Ownership and regulation of
distribution
Management of distribution
Operations of distribution Operation unit
MMDA
Watsans
Water vendor
(keeps 20% of revenues)
Bulk water bill
Management model: Direct WSDB management with bulk supply
GWCL
AVRL
Water Council
Ownership, management and
operations of bulk water supply
Standpost clients
Pay as
you fetch
Clients with HH
connections
Monthly
water billsMOU
Reports
Money flows
(S)Elects representatives