Summary

Two community water kiosks (4 taps each) and 50 household latrines in peri-urban Blantyre

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Background

The project aims at improving water supply to one of the low-income communities in the peri-urban area of Blantyre. The communities are currently served by Blantyre Water Board, a local water utility company (one of the state-owned municipal water companies), but in many cases service is inadequate to meet community needs.

Water Supply Coverage in the low income areas of peri-urban Blantyre

Although the Blantyre Water Board is mandated to provide a piped supply of treated water to all households, this level of coverage has not yet been achieved, particularly in low-income areas. Low-income areas include both (legalized) Traditional Housing Areas and (illegal) unplanned settlements within and in surrounding planned urban areas. Income levels and water supply and demand characteristics vary across this area. Poverty is prevalent in the unplanned areas and Traditional Housing Areas. Bangwe comprises of both THA and unplanned settlements.

The areas also vary in terms of Water Board service. Traditional Housing Areas generally receive Water Board service because they are legalized or officially recognized (and thus have a right to infrastructure services), and have more accessible plot lay-outs. Many unplanned settlements are also serviced to some degree by the Water Board. However, because they have uncertain land tenure and tend to have dense and disorderly housing patterns, making it difficult to lay down water piping, they are predominately supplied through kiosks. Other unplanned settlements are not on an existing Water Board grid at all. Most of these unconnected areas require long extension piping to be reached, making system expansions and new connections a costly exercise.

Many households in low-income areas, buy water from kiosks supplied by the Blantyre Water Board, or from other households with a domestic connection. 10 to 30 percent of households in low-income areas rely on untreated water supplies.

Water Suppliers in Blantyre

Blantyre Water Board is the only entity that provide a treated, piped supply of water in Blantyre. However, other entities are involved in operating water kiosks to supply water in low-income areas. Some of these kiosks were initially constructed by the
Water Board, while others were constructed by the City Assemblies or by donor groups or non-governmental organisations. Operators for the different kiosks include Water Board employees, community committees, local leaders or politicians (who have “captured” the kiosk from a community committee), community-based user associations and private businessmen. Some operators are responsible for more than one kiosk. For example, the user associations run all (or the majority of) kiosks within a defined geographic area.
Most operators have frequently defaulted on bill payments to the Water Board, and many have subsequently been disconnected. Reported difficulties in operating the kiosks, including:

- Poor services from the Water Board (such as slow response times to reported faults and requests for new kiosk connections and frequent water supply interruptions)

- Irregular billing periods and meter readings (including bills arriving less frequently than monthly, frequent use of estimates in place of actual readings, faulty meters, and meters recording pressurized air flow (rather than water flow) as billable consumption)

- High risk of vandalism on kiosks and pipes (which are not promptly repaired by the Water Board, leading to supply shortages at kiosks and customers being diverted to the “free” supply of leaking water).

Location

Blantyre, Southern, Malawi

Attachments

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