wastewater

Fact Sheet

USEPA West Africa Drinking Water Laboratory Capacity Program

With increasing rates of population growth and urbanization, infrastructure in African cities, such as water delivery systems and wastewater systems, can be overwhelmed. Poor governance, chronic underinvestment and a lack of skilled staff make it difficult for urban water utilities to provide safe drinking water to consumers. However, experience suggests that strong leadership and institutions, coupled with preventative risk-based management approaches and sustained capacity-building efforts, are critical to improving the quality of drinking water services in African cities.

Annual Report Story

Constructed Wetlands Solve Wastewater Woes

In the future, urban areas in the Dominican Republic will face increased risk of severe flooding, sea level rise, higher temperatures, and changes in rainfall patterns. This flooding and uneven rainfall exacerbates wastewater disposal challenges for the 75 percent of the country’s residents who are not connected to regulated wastewater and sewage systems. Large-scale treatment facilities are not feasible given the lack of available land and localization of major settlements, so the Climate Risk Reduction Project “thought small.”

Blog

Podcast Features Two Thought Leaders on How Tackle the Global Sanitation Crisis

“I have seen that real change comes from the bottom up, from pressure from society—from good, willing people and action groups who actually put pressure on their governments to change,” says Rolf Luyendijk, executive director of the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council, in the latest episode of USAID’s Global Waters Radio podcast series. “Linking up with these groups, I think, is critical to get politicians to prioritize investing in sanitation.”

Document

Jordan - Water Quality Assessment Report: Task 3 Zai Water Treatment Plant Project

The purpose of this Water Quality Assessment Report is to provide an analysis of the water quality data for the existing Zai Water Treatment Plant (WTP) system, including raw water quality, treated finished water quality, and unit treatment process performance to provide recommendations on treatment process modifications.

Blog

Webinar Explores Barriers to Effective Sanitation Enterprises

The provision of sustainable sanitation for all is one of the world’s most important development priorities, yet 4.5 billion people lack access to a safe toilet. Past efforts to provide greater sanitation access, such as direct government provision and full, blanket subsidies for toilets, have proven to be ineffective or unsustainable in many developing countries, prompting some to focus on market-based sanitation (MBS) as an alternative. However, market-based approaches have proven difficult to scale up.  

Blog

Solutions for Pollution

SWP’s panel of experts discusses how best to address challenges of poor water quality.

Blog

7th Africa Water Week: Canisius Kanangire and Richard Rapier on Strategic Planning for Africa’s Water and Sanitation Sectors

“The changes on the African continent are very much alarming—when we talk of sanitation and look at the growth of the populations in Africa, and also the urbanization phenomenon, with the growth of slums,” said Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Secretary of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), acknowledging the challenges facing the region in a recent interview with USAID’s Global Waters Radio.