Improving Utility Performance in Fragile Environments : Lessons from Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation in Liberia and Guma Valley Water Company in Sierra Leone
This note summarizes lessons from the Water and Sanitation Program’s (WSP) technical assistance to improve performance and cost-recovery at the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) and Sierra Leone’s Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC). The focu...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Nairobi, Kenya
2016
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/07/26547994/improving-utility-performance-fragile-environments-lessons-liberia-water-sewercorporation-liberia-guma-valley-water-company-sierra-leone-improving-utility-performance-fragile-environments-lessons-liberia-water-sewer-corporation-liberia-guma-valley-water-company-sierra-leone http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24786 |
| Summary: | This note summarizes lessons from the
Water and Sanitation Program’s (WSP) technical assistance to
improve performance and cost-recovery at the Liberia Water
and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) and Sierra Leone’s Guma Valley
Water Company (GVWC). The focus on cost-recovery reflects
its critical importance to the viability of utilities. There
are ‘almost no examples in developing countries’ of
utilities ‘whose operating revenues are significantly below
O&M costs and that are nevertheless able to develop and
maintain their infrastructure and provide a reliable and
efficient service’. (McPhail, et al., 2012). WSP’s technical
assistance sought to strengthen reform efforts initiated by
the management teams at LWSC and GVWC by improving the
utilities’ ability to sustainably fund their operations.
Three aspects of cost-recovery were prioritized: (a)
improving metering, billing and collection processes (b)
reducing commercial non-revenue water and (c) investigating
options to expand the utilities’ revenue base by connecting
new customers more effectively. |
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