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3
Selecting Communities for Sewerage |
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In most countries the demand for sewerage greatly exceeds the resources available to provide it. Factors such as finance, engineering skills and administrative capability all limit the number of new sewerage schemes that can be initiated at one time. Even though resources are so limited it is a sad fact that many of the communities that have received sewerage underutilize it. This causes operational problems and poor return on investment. Low returns from the community lead to cut backs in maintenance and reductions in the funds available for future schemes. There is a need therefore to select the schemes which should receive priority and should be implemented first. |
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In the past many schemes have been selected on an ad hoc basis with more attention being paid to the political and economic strength of the recipient communities than whether the schemes are likely to be sustainable, cost-effective or needed. International donors and financial institutions are aware that the failure of many infrastructure projects is because of poor project identification, and this has led to a demand for a more rigorous approach to scheme selection. |
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This chapter suggests a mechanism for objectively selecting which, of a group of communities, should be the first to receive sewerage. It is divided into two sections. The first section discusses the criteria affecting the need for and prioritization of sewerage schemes. Topics including population density, industrial pollution, affordability and groundwater pollution are discussed. Failure of on-site sanitation systems is given particular emphasis |
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