Leveraging Small, Local Service Providers for Urban Water and Sanitation Services

A truck operator desludging a septic tank in Sinnar, India. Photo credit: Center for Water and Sanitation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University.

In many low- and middle-income countries, small and informal water and sanitation service providers supply critical services to the urban population that is unserved by piped water and sewerage. However, these providers are often not officially recognized or regulated, leading to expensive and poor-quality services.

This webinar, conducted by USAID’s URBAN WASH Activity, explored recent research on approaches for formally leveraging small, local providers of water and sanitation services, along with a presentation of case studies from two cities that went through this process - Maputo, Mozambique for water and Lusaka, Zambia for fecal sludge emptying services. The webinar concluded with a panel discussion and Q&A with practitioners who have worked on initiatives to formalize and engage small-scale providers, including:

Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company, the commercial utility of Lusaka, Zambia
Autoridade Reguladora de Água (AURA), the national water and sanitation regulator of Mozambique
Direcção Nacional de Abastecimento de Água e Saneamento (DNAAS), the national water directorate of Mozambique
Center for Water and Sanitation, CEPT University, the technical support partner for urban sanitation to the Government of Maharashtra in India