Local solutions in NRW management through North-South Water Operator Partnerships

1. Local solutions in NRW management through North-South Water Operator Partnerships • The Case of Nakuru: Translating Policy to Practice Presented by: Nancy Ndirangu (SNV Kenya) & James Nganga (NAWASSCO) 29th – 31st May, 2013

2. Content • Introduction and background • Approach and methodology • Results of the action • Conclusion

3. Purpose of 5th Symposium Introduction • In Kenya access to water is enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 as a basic human right; a key commitment of government’s Vision 2030 • Estimated access to water and sanitation is 59% and 32% respectively (Joint Monitoring Programme Report 2012) • Key challenges are old infrastructure, high population growth, inadequate investments, and inadequate capacities of the mandated water sector institutions • Hence, part of the solution lies in developing the capacities of both institutions and individuals in the key sector institutions

4. Purpose of 5th Symposium Background • The water sector reform: • National Water Policy (Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1999) • The Water Act 2002 • Provision of legal and institutional framework • Separation of roles for policy formulation, regulation and service provision

5. Purpose of 5th Symposium • The Water Sector Institutional Framework

6. Purpose of 5th Symposium The NRW Reduction Pilot Project • The project: “Partnerships for Capacity Building in Sustainable Development and Maintenance of Water Infrastructure in Kisumu and Nakuru, Kenya” • Aim to strengthen the capacity of a total of 19 WSPs in two Water Services Board areas in sustainable development and O&M of water and sanitation infrastructure • Focus on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of waterproduction, distribution and waste water treatment • Water distribution: focus on reduction of physical and commercial losses through NRW pilots (in Nakuru and Kisumu) and up-scaling of demonstrated experiences, internally and externally (other WSPs) • This presentation: Nakuru pilot in NAKA, Southern supply zone

7. Purpose of 5th Symposium • The roles of partners: • Rift Valley Water Services Board (RVWSB) • Provide funding for DMA establishment; participate in up-scaling the NRW model to 10 WSPs) • Nakuru Water, Sanitation and Sewerage Company (NAWASSCO) • Beneficiary Partner: spearhead the NRW pilot and scale-up operational performance improvements by embedding the demonstrated ‘caretaker approach’ in the organization. • Vitens Evides International (VEI) • Lead partner in the Water Operator Partnership: provider of TA to NAWASSCO in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the water production and distribution (NRW) process. • Hoogheemraadschap de StichtseRijnlanden (HDSR) • Provider of TA in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of waste water collection and treatment. • SNV Netherlands Development Organization • Provider of capacity building support, facilitator of knowledge networking and learning documentation and scaling-up the emerging models. • Sustainable Aid in Africa (SANA) International • Capacity building support to ‘pro-poor units’ in development and implementation of a Pro-poor Strategy and Action Plan

8. Purpose of 5th Symposium The Systematic Action Research Approach

9. Purpose of 5th Symposium Methodology IWA Water Balance Model:

10. Purpose of 5th Symposium Methodology – Implementation of NAKA Pilot • Translating theory into practice: implementing the NRW Pilot • Awareness raising on the ACP-EUWF funded project and the NRW pilot • Setting up the NRW team at NAWASSCO • Staff training on the theory of Systemic Action Research and the IWA Water Balance Model • Selection of the pilot zone/DMA • Isolation of the pilot area DMA • Measurement of total input-output-NRW volumes • Leak detection and repair • In field assessment of service connections • Customer meter testing, servicing and sealing • Testing of production and territory meters • Subdivision of the assessed connections into sub-zones A, B, C • Minimum night flow measurements to quantify (in)visible leakages • Step-testing to locate (in)visible leaks • Gate- locked premises • Applying the action research (SAR) approach in follow-up activities

11. Purpose of 5th Symposium • Methodology - Development of GIS and MIS systems • GIS - (see http://nakinfo.unibe.ch) • MIS (example in adjacent figure)

12. Purpose of 5th Symposium • Methodology - Adoption of Caretaker Approach

13. Purpose of 5th Symposium Methodology – Upscaling the Pilot (to NAWASSCO & 10 WSPs) (NAWASSCO: from NAKA pilot to Western supply zone)

14. Purpose of 5th Symposium Methodology – Upscaling the Pilot • (DMA establishment  institutionalizing the caretaker approach)

15. Purpose of 5th Symposium Main results • Improved Technical (NRW) and Financial (Revenue) Performance of NAWASSCO • NRW dropped significantly from 48% to 13% • Increased revenue from KES 550,000 to 1.1M (100%) • Water demand has decreased, making more water available to other consumers

16. Purpose of 5th Symposium Main results (continued) • 2. Enhanced Capacity of NAWASSCO (Organization and Staff) • Personal initiative e.g. TM involvement in Minimum Night Flow measurements • CMT commitment to the NRW piloting and up-scaling agenda • Organizational structure re-organized based on the ‘caretaker approach’ • Lessons & Best Practices from the pilot • Technical + commercial departments working in tandem to address emerging issues • Effective utilization of the: a) GIS (under development) by the team to understand the distribution network and plan the pilot interventions, b) NRW MIS in facilitating timely and informed decision-making • Addressing commercial losses as “low hanging fruit” (NRW reduction with minimal resources) enabling NAWASSCO to identify address (remaining) physical losses • The team work and knowledge sharing between local and international (North-South) partners has resulted in shared achievements, local ownership of the action and changing roles in terms of leadership and initiative.

17. Purpose of 5th Symposium Conclusion • Commercial losses (replacement of under-registering meters, access to ‘gate-locked’ meters) were the “low hanging fruits” that contributed to the remarkable achievements of this whole exercise. • NAWASSCO has started disseminating the ‘good news’ (phased approach) to other WSPs through Water Services Board facilitated workshops and Water Service Provider Association facilitated benchmarking activities. • The pilot has proved that there is a lot of scope to use capacity development as a vehicle for development, and to build local ownership by translating theory into practice through knowledge transfer and capacity development of individuals and (collaborations between) organisations.

18. Purpose of 5th Symposium Thank you for your attention! James Nganga Technical Manager Nakuru Water, Sanitation & Sewerage Co. tm@nakuruwater.co.ke Nancy Ndirangu Senior WASH Advisor SNV Netherlands Development Organization nndirangu@snvworld.org