Water Supply and Sanitation

• The Water Supply and Sanitation Project is a subcomponent to Component 2 (improving community infrastructure) of the Community Benefit Sharing Program.
• It is designed to fund community investments in water supply and electricity infrastructure, as preliminary benefits to the communities before the hydropower operation actually starts generating benefit sharing revenues.
• The overall objective is to provide access to potable water and WASH facilities to as many people as possible in accordance with the key design consideration stipulated in the RWASH policy to give preference to basic, low-tech solutions that require minimal O&M.
• This sub-component aims to provide water supply to eligible villages and WASH facilities to selected public infrastructure (e.g., schools, health centres) in these areas in accordance to the Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (R-WASH) Policy of the MHMS and in collaboration with the Water Division of the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE).

What are the project benefits to the community? 

Background

In 2016, a preliminary survey was conducted over 88 villages in the Bahomea and Malango areas to study the water supply and sanitation status of the communities and make recommendations for possible investments under the CBSP. A total of 16 packages were identified referred to as the ‘WASH Investment Priority List” covering densely populated communities, schools and clinics for water and sanitation installations.

What have we achieve so far?

• Supervision of the Water Supply and Sanitation Subcomponent has been outsourced to a technical consultant (Community Water Specialist) with oversight to be provided by a CBSP office.
• Field survey began 20th April 2020 and will take 2 months to complete and will include:
  • validation of the WASH Investment Priority List 
  • collection of field data –community, topography and hydrological survey and
  • preparation of engineering tech standards and construction specs and designs for installations on approved locations.

What will happen next?

Construction and installation of the community water or WASH system is projected to start in mid-2021 once the WASH Sub-Project Agreements has been signed between the project and the target communities. The CWS in consultation with the CBSP Office, shall follow these steps:

1. Prepare Tender documents for construction and installation of WASH systems
2. Procurement of materials for construction and installation of WASH systems
3. Selection of the Wash Contractor(s) (WC) to construct install WASH systems
4. Installation of WAH systems
5. Training of Beneficiary Communities on WASH systems and maintenance
6. Hand-over of WASH facilities to communities