Sustainability

According to Global Water Challenge, sustainability is one of the most pressing issues facing the WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) sector today. More than 30 percent of WASH projects fail after two to five years. Resources available to help address this challenge include guidance on operations and maintenance approaches, tools to estimate long-term costs, and other resources to support sustainability.

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Sustainability Resources

350 Mission -- AEI Charles Pankow Student Design Competition

Published: 
January 1, 2014
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
This project is based on the 2014 Charles Pankow Foundation Annual Architectural Engineering Student Design Competition. It proposes a new design for 350 Mission Street, San Francisco based on the original design from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. The team focused their efforts on designing...Read more
Regional focus: 
United States

A Starting Guide for Campus Sustainability

Published: 
January 1, 2009
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
The concept of sustainability is getting popular in Northern American colleges and universities; however, its movement is still at the beginning phase. Currently, there is no definite answer of how an institution can reach sustainability in the most effective way. However, many colleges and...Read more
Regional focus: 
United States

A Sustainable Accounting and Maintenance Management System for the Infrastructure of the West Boylston Water District

Published: 
January 1, 2006
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
This project was intended to assist the Water District of the Town of West Boylston to manage its water infrastructure assets and comply with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 34. After compiling information about The District's assets, our project group developed a...Read more
Regional focus: 
United States

Adapting Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to Stormwater Management in an Informal Setting

Published: 
January 1, 2011
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
A major problem in the informal settlement of Monwabisi Park, Cape Town, is flooding caused by the low-lying topography and lack of stormwater management systems. Conducting a case study and working with local residents, we created a guidebook that analyzed the physical and social conditions...Read more
Regional focus: 
South Africa

Quick Resource: Maintenance

Published: 
December 1, 2013
The National Institutes for Water Resources
This quick resource shows the maintenance component of desert water harvesting such as cost of maintenance, proper maintenance techniques, and maintenance schedules for green infrastructure to work at peak performance.Read more
Regional focus: 
United StatesNorth America

The Importance of Operation and Maintenance for the Long-Term Success of Green Infrastructure

Published: 
March 1, 2013
The National Institutes for Water Resources
Green infrastructure reduces storm water pollution by infiltrating, evapotranspiring, capturing, and using rainwater, and can be used to replace or augment traditional or gray storm water infrastructure. The use of green infrastructure as a storm water management strategy can help communities and...Read more
Regional focus: 
United StatesNorth America

Field Guide: Maintaining Rain Gardens, Swales, and Stormwater Planters

Published: 
January 1, 2013
The National Institutes for Water Resources
Sustainable storm water facilities (i.e. Low Impact Development-LID)attempt to mimic the natural water cycle. They function to slow and reduce the amount of storm water that enters rivers and pipes as well as filter pollutants to protect our infrastructure and watersheds.Read more
Regional focus: 
United StatesNorth America

Planning for Climate Change in the West

Published: 
January 1, 2010
The National Institutes for Water Resources
Central to the mission of Western Lands and Communities is planning for climate change. This policy focus report began as a Lincoln Institute Working Paper by Rebecca Carter (2008) titled 'Land Use Planning and the Changing Climate of the West.' The paper highlights how local planners...Read more
Regional focus: 
North AmericaUnited StatesPacific

Sustainability of Donor-Assisted Rural Water Supply Projects

Published: 
April 1, 1994
U.S. Agency for International Development
Few projects in the rural water supply and sanitation (WS&S) sector have achieved full sustainability, according to this study. The study, written to assist in the planning and management of WS&S projects, can also be used by evaluators as a checklist of level of sustainability; it focuses...Read more
Regional focus: 
LesothoSub-Saharan Africa

Constraints in Providing Water and Sanitation Services to the Urban Poor

Published: 
March 1, 1993
U.S. Agency for International Development
The purpose of this report is to specify the key constraints that must be addressed for significant reform in the urban sector to occur. It is meant to be an informational tool, one that helps development planners understand and confront the problems that beset projects striving to bring water and...Read more

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