ARE ROOF TANKS PRO-POOR SERVICE LEVELS? A CASE STUDY FROM ETHEKWINI (DURBAN), SOUTH AFRICA

摘要

Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind all other regions in thernworld concerning water supply with only 58 percent ofrnthe population having access to improved water sources.rnEven though there exists a wide range of technical optionsrnfor water supply and conservation, limitations of knowhowrnand skill, management capability, finance andrnadaptability constrain the implementation of waterrninfrastructure. Municipality of eThekwini (Durban) triedrnto implement roof-tanks (semi-pressure system) as a propoorrnwater supply service level. However, there werernfrequent problems observed with paying and correctlyrnusing this service level (illegally this service level wasrnoften upgraded to a full pressure system), which showedrnthat people were not satisfied with it. The generalrnperception of roof tanks as inferior, which does notrnacknowledge the benefits of the roof tanks, have beenrnidentified as a main reason for their failure. The lackingrnenforcement of the tariff-regulations have in addition ledrnto unfairness: Users with full pressure pay less than thosernwith semi-pressure, large household (that may use morernwater) pay not significantly more, than small ones. In thernsuccess case of semi-pressure, user education had arnsignificant impact.