Professionalized Services
How a system is managed long-term depends on the solution and the context.
Customized Approaches
For some water projects, we heavily rely on communities, educating and equipping local leaders to operate and manage water systems. After a structured period of support (typically one to three years), we transition the project to the community and provide support on an as-needed basis.
But more complex safe water solutions can require more advanced technical assistance and oversight.
One way Water Mission can provide long‐term support in the communities where we have implemented water projects is by managing ongoing operation and maintenance at scale. This can reduce the burden on communities and result in a reliable water supply that meets residents’ long-term needs.
Three Models of Professionalized Services
Rural Water Cooperative (RWC)
The RWC is a sustainability initiative that supports rural communities’ ongoing safe water needs. In many of the areas in which we work, qualified professional support is lacking. Through the RWC, Water Mission sets up a long-term monitoring and support strategy for communities. By providing a full range of support activities, including financial sustainability planning and training on preventative maintenance, we can support long-term sustainability.
Prepaid and Remotely Managed (PreMa)
The PReMa process manages water projects through robust technology (e.g., water meters), actionable dashboards that measure against clear goals, and compliance with critical design criteria.
Regional Utility (PILOT)
Water Mission is in the early phases of piloting a regional water utility model as another avenue for providing long-term sustainable access to safe water. This model involves collaborative partnerships with utility companies to provide professional water service to a defined area. Water Mission will design, build, operate, and then transfer water operations to the partner utility. The utility is then responsible for operation and maintenance, water quality testing, household connections, and ongoing innovations to better serve customers. This model has the potential to help us serve even more people, even more quickly.
