Water safety plans for housing developments in urban areas of developing countries: A case study from Kenya

Urban areas in developing countries often face the challenge of inadequate water supply and uncertain water quality. Middle -income areas are no exception to the deficit in water service provision. In urban middle- income housing estates, utility supply is often supplemented by alternative service providers or private supply to meet the shortfall in quantity. The gap however is realised in water quality management, where the utility ceases to carry responsibility for water quality within these estates and the estate management has no direct obligation to do so. This study looks into the applicability of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) as a risk assessment and management tool to ensure water quality within urban housing estates, using a case study of three housing estates in Nairobi, Kenya. Stakeholders within the estates are primarily concerned with adequacy of supply and residents take individual responsibility over water quality through household treatment. No form of water quality monitoring is conducted internally. Despite the low risks to water contamination, a water quality management tool can be adopted to ensure safe water supply to residents and minimise the risks of unforeseen events. Such a tool would require the internal will of all stakeholders and as recommended, the external support of policy.