One of the modern water systems is not functional. But sadly, that’s the story across Congo and other countries of sub saharan Africa. What’s a key factor to make them more sustainable? No one knows since there's NOT a precise silver bullet or magic blue print or grand master plan.
We must develop a body of knowledge from those successful projects that have been sustainable for a long period of time. Every project that is implemented with the expectation that it will be functional and serve the community or village for 10, 20, or 30 years. It is not happening.
Here’s one anecdotal observation. There are more people involved in building new water systems than there are involved in maintaining, repairing, and upgrading those already implemented systems. Yes, we need more water systems because too many people in the world are using surface water or an unimproved water system. But because a number of implemented systems are failing every day, the cumulative number of water systems is going up rapidly or exponentially.
Why? The simple answer is the projects lack sustainability because no one plans for it. Our car is a good example and offers some good lessons.
One, about all water wells and other improved water sources are NOT financed by the customer. Mostly, governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations from the northern hemisphere provide the financing of major water projects. These organizations financing the project will be primarily concerned only about whether the project will be satisfactorily completed. Would you buy your son or daughter a car without you considering who is going to maintain it after it is delivered? I would think who is going to maintain it is decided concurrently with the purchase. Typically, the financier does not fund the maintenance.
Two, you will ask your son or daughter how they are going to maintain their car even if you are not going to maintain it. Do they have the means to maintain it? If you have a mechanic son or daughter, you may have to provide only the training, oversight, and equipment for them to maintain it. But if they are not the mechanic types, you will discuss how they are going to pay someone or find someone to maintain it. At least, you have those discussions. However, operation and maintenance are nearly never discussed and documented.
In the future, I hope these governmental and non-governmental organizations hold those conversations with their implementing partners and the project beneficiaries. Sustainability (operation and maintenance) must be added to the overall project cost. And someone must be explicitly given the responsibility for operation and maintenance.
One solar water system is not functional! As an experiment, I should inquire about this number written on the wall above this solar pump controller. I should ask the occupants of the building if they called the number on the wall for service? Whose number is it, the financing organization or the maintaining organization? Is this system still under warranty? Can they come out to service it since it is not working?
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