Sustainable Water and Sanitation in Africa Project to Support Urban WASH – Liberia (SUWASA-Liberia)
SUWASA was a regional initiative to foster the transformation of water and sanitation delivery services in Africa to achieve their long-term financial sustainability through the application of market-based principles. SUWASA was designed to spread effective models of reform at the water utility and sector levels and to facilitate innovative financing approaches for African water providers. SUWASA supported the Government of Liberia in developing a methodology for calculating and using the cost of water services as a basis for tariff decisionmaking. In carrying out its mandate, SUWASA partnered with utilities and small service providers, governments and donors, and communities to demonstrate and promote best practices for water service reform and governance, as well as innovative financing strategies. SUWASA support included technical assistance and capacity building, supplemented with limited financial support for infrastructure improvements and commodity procurements as required.
SUWASA developed and successfully implemented reform work plans for 17 urban water and sanitation activities in the nine SSA countries, contributing to improved sector efficiency and better service delivery to customers. SUWASA effectively shared and promoted project learning and best practices for improving and expanding water and sanitation services in the region.
The goal of SUWASA was to improve and expand the delivery of water and sanitation services in urban and peri-urban areas through the application of market-based principles to achieve long-term financial viability. SUWASA provided technical assistance for the design and implementation of effective reform models at the sector level, including for policy, legislative, regulatory, financial and institutional reforms; and at the water utility level to support corporate governance, operations, ability to access finance, stakeholder communication, services to the poor, etc. SUWASA’s work on urban sanitation focused on establishing citywide approaches for fecal sludge management (FSM) and investment planning. Technical assistance was supplemented with limited financial support for infrastructure improvements and commodity procurements to support the success of reform initiatives
Activity Description
SUWASA supported the Government of Liberia in developing a methodology for calculating and using the cost of water services as a basis for tariff decision making. The project tested the methodology using data from two outstations of LWSC - Robertsport and Kakata. Based on the results of the pilots in these two stations, SUWASA prepared for LWSC and its outstations tariff guidelines with clear procedures for calculating the cost of service and making tariff adjustments. The guidelines provided complete instructions for using the methodology and make recommendations for implementing a transparent process of tariff setting.
Expected Outcomes
- Ensure that U.S. Government investment in basic infrastructure through the Liberia Municipal Water Project will be embedded in a favorable and robust regulatory framework and that customers will be assured of a transparent, fair and technically sound tariff regime based on cost recovery principles as envisioned by the Government of Liberia and outlined in various sector policy documents.
