UWASNET Case Study
Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Isingiro District
The following Case Study was recently featured in the quarterly newsletter of UWASNET – Uganda Water and Sanitation Network. Founded in 2000 by the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Water and Environment in partnership with Sector Development Partners, UWASNET is the umbrella organization for all Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) operating in the Water and Sanitation sub-sector.
With a membership of 140 CSOs, including ACTS Uganda, their mandate is to coordinate all CSOs and strengthen their contribution to the sector by facilitating learning and sharing, documentation of CSO’s work, and promoting partnerships and collaborations with other sector stakeholders, including Government, development partners and the private sector.
Water Supply Infrastructure
ACTS Uganda completed and commissioned the Nyakigyera Gravity Flow System, which was rehabilitated and extended to unserved areas covering a total of 18 villages, all served with 97 tap stands, of which 46 were newly constructed and 51 rehabilitated.
This Gravity Flow system serves an approximate population of 20,000 people. The tap stands are located less than 0.5 km from the beneficiary households. Quarterly Water Quality tests are conducted to ensure that the water remains safe for consumption throughout.
To achieve sustainability of these infrastructures, ACTS established a WASH Committee in charge of the operation and maintenance that is in charge of user fee collections, and it also trained 2 technicians in charge of maintenance works. 10 taps were established at 9 schools and 1 Healthcare Facility.
[Photos of beneficiaries testing the clean and safe water flowing through the pipes for the first time in their community.]
100% of our beneficiaries reported feeling secure in accessing WASH resources from 65.92% at baseline. Their peers reported 42.56% at the end-line from 54.33% (a drop from the baseline).
The ACTS beneficiaries were 161.9% better off than their peers within the control group. The assessment conducted revealed that 77.92% of the beneficiaries from the ACTS group collected water within 30 minutes inclusive of queuing time from 42.65 that was observed at baseline, and only 18.5% of their peers collected water in this same time from 21.92% at baseline.
The drop in the control group is attributed to the non-functional water sources that existed at the time of baseline which had worsened their situation.
The ACTS group was 321% better off.
The uniqueness of the ACTS service is in the enclosed shelter built by beneficiary households to the tap stand to protect against the misuse of water and also act as a measure of ensuring security as there is control by the Tap stand Leadership.