• The Community as Drinking Water Provider in a Low-Income Area Colombia
• Durban Metro Water: Private Sector Partnerships to Serve the Poor
    

Rural violence, economic depression and the lack of educational and labour opportunities had forced people to migrate from the rural center to the urban and peri-urban areas in most of the countries in Latin America. Pumping water to those areas from the city plains is usually very expensive. La Sirena is a peri-urban settlement located in a hilly area in the southwestern part of Santiago de Cali. Soon the population started increasing in size that led to the increased need for public services. In 1984 , the project for the improvement of water supply was initiated. Through community organization, La Sirena constructed and manages its own piped water supply. A slow sand filtration plant ensures a safe water quality. The project was developed by the community with the support of local, provincial and international institutions. The new dynamics generated within the community has further led to the construction of a health center, street paving and an improved wastewater disposal system. It is a successful example of how a CBO manages public services in low-income areas.

The financial resources for the construction were raised and controlled by the community. After completing the construction in 1987, the system has been managed by the Community Action Committee, elected by the beneficiaries. The Committee has established a differentiated tariff for water according to the type of household: large houses, inhabited by higher income families pay US$6.00 once in 2 months, houses inhabited by tenants pay US$2.90; and households consisting of a single family pay US$2.00. This approach is replicated in other peri-urban settlements of the city.

References: Best practices and Lessons Learnt Unit –UNCHS (Habitat)
http://www.bestpractices.org/bpbriefs/
  

Durban Metro Water: Private Sector Partnerships to Serve the Poor. Water & Sanitation Program Field Note, May 2001. 8 pages.

This case study outlines Durban Metro Water's carefully structured partnerships with the private sector firms Lyonnaise des Eaux and Vivendi, which have been undertaken in an overall attempt to improve service delivery to low income communities. The note concludes with recommendations from the Executive Director of Durban Metro Water on how utilities can use private sector partnerships to experiment and innovate with respect to service to the poor.
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