Self-supply as a safely managed water service: comparative analysis and predictors of water service outcomes in rural Nepal

Abstract Self-supply is ubiquitous in rural areas of South Asia, including in Nepal, where more than a third of the country’s population obtains their drinking water from private tubewells. However, there has been little research into the service levels delivered by self-supply or its performance relative to public water services. Drawing on data from 1289 tubewells in Sarlahi District in the Terai region of Nepal, this study compared the performance of private and community tubewells in terms of water quality and availability and identified factors that predict service levels. Compared with community tubewells, private tubewells had significantly higher odds of providing water that was free from contamination and available in sufficient quantities when needed (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.19–3.77, p = 0.011). However, inequities were evident among private tubewell users, with marginalized or lower-caste groups having significantly lower odds of accessing a safely managed water service (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.54–0.85, p < 0.001). Among private tubewell users, shallower wells and open defecation were significantly associated with the presence of E. coli . The results show that self-supply is capable of providing a safely managed water service and can contribute to efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6. However, targeted support should be directed towards disadvantaged households to safeguard water quality and strengthen service reliability. In particular, programmes that support the installation of deeper tubewells, prevent open defecation and promote household water treatment may bring water quality benefits in areas where self-supply is practised.