Improved but insufficient rural water infrastructure: qualitative insights from six villages in Zambia

ABSTRACT Piped water supply coverage is growing in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. But, non-ideal conditions prevent many piped water supplies from distributing enough water. This study investigates how the design and type of water supply infrastructure affect the (in)sufficiency of household water supply in six rural Zambian communities with piped and non-piped water sources. Drawing from 28 interviews and 11 focus group discussions with 132 participants, five thematic barriers to water supply sufficiency were identified: water availability, system functionality, intermittent supply, collection distances, and collection negotiations. Water availability varied seasonally at some handpumps. System functionality challenges were more common for solar-powered boreholes than manual systems, likely due to increased system complexity. Intermittent operation led to reduced pressures, shortened supply times, and reduced predictability in the motorized systems. Collection distances varied for users of shared water points – and all improved water systems in this study included at least some shared water points. Finally, collection negotiations often preceded water withdrawals at shared water points. Solar-powered piped systems are increasingly common in rural communities. Their sufficiency can be improved if water availability calculations and system designs consider seasonal variations in power availability and differences between end-users in access distances and social negotiation power.