Success Factors for Water Safety Plan Implementation in Small Drinking Water Supplies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Water Safety Plan (WSP) implementation has the potential to greatly improve, commonly very challenging and resource limited, small drinking water supplies. Although slower than in urban or high-income settings, the uptake of WSPs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is accelerating. Understanding the factors which will make a WSP successful will further improve efficient uptake and assist with its long-term sustainability. Based on an extensive literature search using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISM-A) methodology, 48 publications, including case studies and guidance documentation, formed the basis of this review. These were analysed using inductive and deductive coding methods to (i) identify the success factors applicable to WSP implementation in small drinking water supplies in LMICs and (ii) to investigate which factors are more or less critical depending on the geography and level of development of the implementing country. Key challenges identified during the review process were also noted. A comparison of these success factors was made with those identified from high-income and urban settings. The three most important success factors identified are the development of technical capacity, community engagement, and monitoring and verification. Factors specific to small drinking water supplies in LMICs include support from non-government organisations, integration into existing water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs, simplicity, and community engagement. Certain factors, such as adaptability, the use of guidance documentation, international collaboration, the role of pilot studies, knowledge sharing, and stakeholder involvement are applicable to all WSP settings. Due to the specific challenges faced by small drinking water systems and the limited number of original research publications on this topic, this study highlights the need for further data collection and research focused on success factors in these settings. It is anticipated that the consideration of the success factors identified in this study will assist implementers in improving the uptake and long-term sustainability of WSPs in small drinking water supplies in low- and middle-income settings.

Benefits, Challenges and Sucess Factors of Water Safety Plan Implementation: A Review

“…A study conducted by Herschan et al (2020) in Low-and Middle-Income Countries to identify the factors that contribute to a WSP's performance. The results showed that the most three essential success variables identified were technical capacity building, community engagement, and monitoring and verification.…”

“…This variety is capable of accommodating disparities in the beliefs and worldviews of different stakeholders and, as a result, stimulates collaboration and understanding in environmental assessment procedures, promoting credibility and relevance. Clearly, the SEA tool recommends dedication, technical expertise, governance, and interagency collaboration (Herschan et al, 2020).…”

“…Water consumption throughout the world has increased six times in the last 100 years and continuously grow as ecosystems economic growth, health, and food security all need water resources (Baum & Bartram, 2018;WHO, 2007) Water supply is important to the quality of life, public health, environmental protection, sustainable development, and economic activity. Generally, water supply service is provided by natural resources monitored by authorities which should conform to principles such as continuity, universally, equity in pricing, efficiency and adequacy in quality and quantity (Herschan et al, 2020;Roeger & Tavares, 2018).…”

Progress of Using Risk Assessment to Manage Small Drinking-Water Supplies in Rwanda: A Preliminary Study

“…Although WSP implementation has been demonstrated to have led to improved drinking-water quality [13][14][15], the need for initial financial and technical resources have been identified [13,14,16]. Published studies of the direct outcomes and impacts of risk-based interventions are limited, especially for SDWS in SSA [12,17,18].…”

Accomplishment of water safety plan using quality assurance tool in 2020-2021: A case study in a western city of Gilan province, Iran

“…In order to make sure the safety of drinking water in Stockholm in 2001, a framework consisting of goals based on health, water safety plan and guidelines relative to the quality of drinking water was presented (9,10). Subsequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Water Safety Plan (WSP) in 2004, which marked the largest change in global attitudes about how water resources are managed (11,12). One of the goals of the WSP is to manage the supply of safe drinking water from the source of production to the point of consumption (13).…”