Experience from Zambia: extending regulation to urban OSS and rural WSS

Peter MutaleChief Inspector

NATIONAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION COUNCIL

Current Initiatives and Progress

NWASCO Presentation Outline

• Background

• Current Situation Urban OSS & FSM

• Current Situation Rural WSS

• New Regulatory framework for OSS and FSM

• New Regulatory framework for Rural WSS

• Implementation Framework

• Recommendations & Lessons Learnt

• Conclusion & Challenges

BackgroundZambia

● Population approx. 17 million

● Land area 752,000 square kilometres

BackgroundUrban and Rural WSS Coverage (Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP 2017

Report)

ElementUrban (%) Rural (%)

2000 2015 2000 2015

Safely managed water services 49 47 No data No data

At least basic water services 83 86 30 44

Safely managed sanitation services No data No data No data No data

At least basic sanitation services 51 49 13 19

Open defecation 2 1 36 25

Use of onsite Sanitation 26 33 12 19

Use of sewer connections 25 16 1 0

BackgroundRegional and Zambia Hygiene Estimates (WHO/UNICEF JMP 2017 Report)

Region 2015

Sub-saharan Africa National Rural Urban

Population (thousands) 962,287 - -

%Urban 38 - -

Basic Hygiene 15% 10% 24%

Limited (without water or soap) 22% 23% 20%

No facility 63% 67% 55%

Zambia National Rural Urban

Population (thousands) 16,212 - -

%Urban 41 - -

Basic Hygiene 14% 5% 26%

Limited (without water or soap) 28% 24% 33%

No facility 59% 71% 41%

Background

General

● National Water Policies & Legislation to facilitate reforms in place since 1990

● From 1989 to 2009, 11 Commercial Utilities (CUs) formed for WSS services

● To date NWASCO regulates 11 CUs and 6 Private Schemes

Key National Programmes and Strategies

● Vision 2030 in line with SDGs

● Seventh National Development Plan 2016 to 2021 (aligned to SDGs)

● National Urban WSS Programme (2011 to 2030)

● National Rural WSS Programme (2016 to 2030), to be launched

● National WSS Capacity Development Strategy (2015 to 2020)

● National Urban and Peri-urban Sanitation Strategy (2015 to 2030)

● Open Defecation Free Zambia Strategy (2018 to 2030)

Water Sector Reforms

Extension of Regulatory Framework Linked to Ngor Commitments

NgorNo

Ngor Commitments Targeted Element in Regulation

1

Focus on the poorest, most marginalised and unserved aimed at progressively eliminating inequalities in access and use and implement national and local strategies with an emphasis on equity and sustainability;

• Extension of Regulating aimed at meeting SDGs

• Affordability and pricing

• Updated tariff guidelines

• Minimum service level guidelines

6Ensure inclusive, safely-managed sanitation services and functional hand-washing facilities in public institutions and spaces;

9Establish government-led monitoring, reporting, evaluation, learning and review systems;

NIS linked to MWDSEP WASH system

Current Situation Onsite Sanitation & FSM

● No data for safely managed sanitation

● No regulation and standards for FSM

● Inadequate coordination and agreement on

acceptable sanitation

● Inadequate coordination of actors across

the sanitation service chain

● Inadequate data on existing onsite

sanitation service provision

● Inadequate enforcement on constructed

sanitation facilities- pollution of water

Gaps in Urban Onsite Sanitation:

Current Situation Onsite Sanitation & FSM

● No standards for Onsite Sanitation facilities

construction

● Poorly built onsite sanitation facilities

● Unhealthy emptying of onsite sanitation

facilities- workers & public health risk

● Illegal dumping of faecal sludge

● No Faecal Sludge (FS) treatment plants

● FS treated at Wastewater plants- high O&M

costs and facility degradation

● Uncontrolled pricing– unaffordable services

Gaps in Urban Onsite Sanitation (continued):

Current Situation Rural WSS Service Provision

● Inadequate drinking water quality

monitoring — quality not assured

● Monitoring and reporting not consistent

compared to urban WSS.

● Some districts covered by developed IMS

(DHIS2)

● Inadequate O&M - availability of WSS

facilities not assured

● Some districts covered by Sustainable

Operations & Maintenance Programme

(SOMAP)

Gaps in Rural WSS service provision:

Current Situation Rural WSS Service Provision

● Adherence to standards — no

enforcement of standards

● Sustainability — long-term

sustainability of WSS interventions

may be at risk

● Uncoordinated interventions

Gaps in Rural WSS service provision (continued):

New Regulatory framework for OSS and FSM

Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection (MWDSEP)● Overall Water Sector policy guidance and

resource mobilisation● Overall coordination of the Water Sector and

Environmental protectionNWASCO● Issue licence to CUs for sanitation.● Issue permit to other providers under CULocal Authorities ● continue providing business licenses● Issuing by-laws for sanitation service provision

Roles and Responsibilities

New Regulatory framework for OSS and FSM

Zambia Environmental Management Agency● licensing trucks carrying sewage or sludge● develop standards for final faecal sludge/reuse

with ZABSWater Resources Management Authority● Issue permits for abstraction of waterCommercial Utilities● Licensed overall Implementing agent WSS

service provision● Overall responsibility for sustainability of

sanitation service chain

Roles and Responsibilities (continued):

New Institutional Arrangements-Regulation of Onsite Sanitation & FSM

NWASCO

Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection

ZEMA

FSM Private Operator (P.O.)

outside CU service areas

Mobile toilets

Community Based Service Providers

CU Operation

Key Full- existing Dotted-proposed

FSM Private Operator within the CU service

areas

Protection of environment

and ecosystems

Regulation of water supply and sanitation

service delivery

To CUsIssues licenses to protect Environment

To FSM Private OperatorsIssues licenses to protect Environment

To CUsIssues licenses for WSS services.

To FSM Private Operators (not under CU service areas)To issue permits for FSM services

Proposed Faecal Sludge Management Approach

COLLECTION TRANSPORT TREATMENTDISPOSAL/

ENDUSEThe Sanitation Chain

EMPTYING CONVEYANCE TREATMENTDISPOSAL/

ENDUSEThe Sanitation Service Chain CONTAINMENT

The Main Facilities/

equipment Used

All Areas

Off-site Sanitation System

Water Closet/

toilet by

Households

Sewer

connection

by CUs

Sewerage

system by CUs

Wastewater

Treatment

Plant/DEWATS

by CUs or

Private

OperatorsAgricultue

or other

The Main Facilities/

equipment Used

High Cost, Formal Areas

On-site Sanitation System

Septic tanks by

Households

Vacuum

tankers/

exhausters

by CUs or

Private

Operators

Faecal Sludge

Treatment

Plants/

Biodigestors by

CUs or Private

OperatorsAgriculture

or other

Vacuum tankers/

exhausters by

CUs or Private

Operators

The Main Facilities/

equipment Used

Peri-Urban, Informal Areas

On-site Sanitation System

Pit latrines by

Households

Gulpers,

scooping

buckets by

pit emptiers

(individual

or CBO)

Transfer stations

by CU or Private

Operators Agriculture

or other

Faecal Sludge

Treatment

Plants/

Biodigestors by

CUs or Private

Operators

Pit latrine/

Septic tanks

by Households

New Regulatory framework for Rural WSS

● NWASCO Will issue a licence to CUs to cover entire

town/district for WSS service

● Other service providers, including LAs will be given

NWASCO permits to work through CU licenses

New Institutional Arrangements for Rural WSS Regulation

Conventional Main WSS

Urban

Peri-Urban WSS

WSS Schemes

Rural

WSS Points

CU ManagementLocal Authority

– RWSS Unit

CUScheme

OperatorsCU/CBO

RWSS Unit

NWASCO

WSS Schemes(Taken over by CU)

Growth Centre Scheme Operators

Key

Existing management reporting

Proposed MoU

Proposed Regulation

WSS already

under CU

WSS still under LA

WSS under

LA

Area Service Area Responsibility Licensing Arrangements

Urban Urban Commercial Utility NWASCO license- entire district.

Peri-Urban Commercial Utility Part of overall NWASCO License.

Delegated Mgt-

CBOs, Priv. Sector

Through CU License using a

Management Contract.

Rural Growth

Centres -

piped system

Commercial Utility Part of overall license (above)

Local Authority Not

yet taken up by CUs

NWASCO permit: specific

conditions-MoUs - LAs,CU& CBOs

Rural Instit. Institution - e.g.

Schools, Clinic,etc)

NWASCO permit with specific

conditions for type of institution

Rural

settlements-

point sources

Local Authority (LA) NWASCO permit with specific

conditions. Strategies/guidelines-

NUSS, ODF Strategy, SOMAP, etc

Summary of New WSS Service Provision and Licensing

Implementation Framework

No Deliverable Time Remarks

1.

Institutional and legal framework agreement June

2018

• Clarified RWSS instit. & legal frameworks

• Operational approach streamlined in

frameworks for RWSS

2.

Amend CU licences and service level guarantees & agreements (SLG/As)

Dec.

2018

• Operating Licenses amended

• SLG/As have been revised

• Stakeholders consultations - 1st Qtr, 2019.

3.

Establish guidelines and standards urban OSS & RWSS

Dec.

2018

They have been established awaiting further

consultations with key stakeholders within

1st quarter of 2019.

4. Definition-National sanitation standards/ code of practice

Dec.

2018

To be concluded within the 1st quarter of

2019

No Deliverable Time Remarks

5. Improve data collection

and reporting for rural

December

2018

Framework on data and information

management developed, aligned to SDGs

6.Revise NIS to link to Rural

WASH IMS (DHIS2)July 2018

• To enhance Monitoring to align to

SDGs for urban and rural WSS services

• NIS revised and provided link to the

DHIS2 (Aligned to SDGs)

7.

Strengthen NWASCO

capacity- implementation

of the frameworks.

2018 –

2020

• NWASCO has visited countries and

institutions for learning.

• 2019 budget includes extra staff

8.Joint implementation

team (JIT)

1st Qtr

2019Three JITs will be established for 3 CUs

9. Regulation of OSS and

Rural WSS

2nd Qtr

2019

Monitoring will start slowly while other

measures are being put in place.

Implementation Framework (Continued)

Recommendations and Lessons Learnt

● Articulating current situation and present expected

future

● Clarity of roles and responsibilities for everyone is key

● Rules, regulations & standards needed for effectiveness

● Engagement of key stakeholders for consensus building

Recommendations and Lessons Learnt Cont’d

● Special purpose vehicle to fund WSS projects in Rural areas in initial

stages

● Data management has to be enhanced – GIS mapping crucial

● Comprehensive survey on existing forms of sanitation a must

● Business model for provision of FSM services needed

● Must develop collaborative framework with key stakeholders

Conclusion and Challenges

● With daunting tasks of universal access under SDGs for safely

managed services, OSS and rural WSS need to be regulated

● With rules, regulations and legal framework in place, the challenge

remains with enforcement.

● Clear workable enforceable mechanisms needed

● Regulation of onsite sanitation and RWSS is achievable with right

tools in place.

Thank you