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

Water for the World: Operating and Maintaining Septic Tanks

U.S. Agency for International Development
A septic tank is a self-operating unit for sewage treatment. The tank receives raw sewage from a building, allows solids to settle out, and discharges effluent to an underground (subsurface) absorption system for final disposal. This technical note describes how to measure scum and sludge depths to...Read more
Regional focus: 
United StatesNorth America

Water for the World: Operating and Maintaining Privies

U.S. Agency for International Development
A privy consists of a pit to hold excreta, a slab with a squatting hole or a seat and pedestal, and a shelter to give the user privacy. Maintaining a privy involves cleaning the slab weekly, repairing the privy as needed, and eventually filling the pit with soil and moving the slab and shelter to a...Read more
Regional focus: 
United StatesNorth America

Water for the World: Operating and Maintaining Sewer Systems

U.S. Agency for International Development
A sewer system is a self-operating network of underground pipes that carries sewage by gravity flow from a number of dwellings. It flows to a stabilization pond or other central treatment facility. This technical note describes the elements involved in maintaining a sewer system.Read more
Regional focus: 
United StatesNorth America

Evaluating Operation and Maintenance Training

U.S. Agency for International Development
Evaluation is a way for the action agency and the village to review the value of the water and sanitation system to the community.Read more

Methods of Operation and Maintenance Training

U.S. Agency for International Development
This technical note is about the important steps in establishing a water and sanitation system in a rural community, specifically arranging for efficient operation and maintenance of the facilities.Read more

Planning Operation and Maintenance Training

U.S. Agency for International Development
This technical note is about planning operations and maintenance training programs for rural village water and sanitation systems requires choosing a training method and arranging a training program schedule.Read more

Maintaining Intakes

U.S. Agency for International Development
This technical note discusses maintenance of the intakes for ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.Read more

Maintaining Well Logs

U.S. Agency for International Development
This technical note describes how to maintain a well log. Maintaining a log involves recording information on the physical characteristics of the well, the soil formations encountered during construction and the yield of the well.Read more

Training in Water and Wastewater Operation and Maintenance: Sources of Training Materials

Published: 
March 18, 1984
U.S. Agency for International Development
Training document in water and wastewater operation and maintenance. The Near East Bureau in the Agency for International Development (AID) requested the Water and Sanitation for Health Project (WASH) to study the organizations and institutions that offer training and educational programs in the...Read more

Islands of Success

Published: 
October 1, 2013
Water for People
This report assesses how Water For People and the government are faring in meeting their goals to deliver lasting sanitation and water supply services in Sagar and its neighbouring block, Patharpratima.Read more
Regional focus: 
South East Asia

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