The sub-Saharan potential for household level water supply improvement

Promoting only community-based water supply may mean that we are omitting a major asset which can contribute to MDGs. Many people in sub-Saharan Africa are investing in their own supplies, and appear interested to retain ownership and invest more. In the case of groundwater sources the facility may be privately owned but is generally shared to provide a communal service. In addition there is a growing culture of water treatment which stems partly from seasonal anti-cholera chlorination campaigns and which can reduce health risks of such traditional supplies. Building on these two household level initiatives offers a complementary approach especially for smaller communities, and those with plentiful traditional water supplies, where communal supplies often face problems of sustainability. Combined with rainwater harvesting especially for areas with scarce freshwater, household supply improvements can reduce the financial burden on governments, and yet allow them to respond to community and household demands.