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: Constructing, Operating and Maintaining Non-Conventional Absorption Systems
U.S. Agency for International Development
Non-conventional absorption disposal systems have been developed for soil conditions where absorption is slow and slight, or where ground water is close to the ground surface. This technical note describes the elements involved in constructing and maintaining non-conventional systems.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaWater for the World: Operating and Maintaining Compost Toilets
U.S. Agency for International Development
Maintaining a compost toilet involves keeping it clean and periodically changing vaults and removing compost. Maintaining a compost toilet requires monthly inspection and repair damage. This manual provides a guide to correctly using compost toilets and effectively operating and maintaining them.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaWater for the World: Operating a Solid Waste Collection System
U.S. Agency for International Development
Operating a solid waste collection system involves removing solid waste from houses, yards, marketplaces, factories or public building and transporting it to a landfill, composting area or biogas plant. This technical note describes how to operate and maintain three types of solid waste management...Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaWater 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
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United StatesNorth AmericaWater 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
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United StatesNorth AmericaWater 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
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United StatesNorth AmericaVegetation Drought Response Index (VEGDRI)
Published:
June 30, 2014U.S. Geological SurveyRobert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska
The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) produces VegDRI in collaboration with the US Geological Survey's (USGS) Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS), and the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC). Main researchers working on VegDRI are Dr. Brian Wardlow, with...Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaDownscaled CMIP3 and CMIP5 Climate and Hydrology Projections
U.S. Geological Survey
The archive provides climate and hydrologic projections at spatial and temporal scales relevant to some of the watershed and basin-scale decisions facing water and natural resource managers and planners dealing with climate change. Such access permits several types of analyses, including: (1)...Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaUSGS Water Science School - Questions and Answers
U.S. Geological Survey
A part of the USGS Water Science School, this page provides a series of questions and answers surrounding water. Topics include Water at Home, Water Use, Measuring Water, Water Chemistry and Quality, and the Water Around Us.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaNRD Oral History Project
Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska
A website produced by the Water for Food Global Institute and partners, featuring oral histories about the development of Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts, a unique groundwater management institution based on local governance.Read more
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United StatesNorth AmericaDon't see what you're looking for? You can search USWP member sites, request a resource, or contact the USWP.