Siliana rural centers water systems; rural water system (Sbiba - Jedliane - Rohia)

Final PES covers the period 8/78-12/83 and summarizes an attached special evaluation (XD-AAQ-652-A) which was based on site visits and interviews with SONEDE officials. The projects were carried out efficiently, easily, and without major problems. Thirteen water systems were upgraded or constructed, and a final system, at Gaafour, is almost complete. The cost per household connection was over $1,000, far higher than anticipated, but will decrease as more families participate. Per-household consumption has apparently declined as the number of house connections has risen, evidently because fewer people are drawing water from neighbors and because most people use public taps for laundry and cleaning to reduce water bills. A total of 22 public water taps (reduced by agreement from the original target of 67) were constructed or upgraded under Project 6640318 to supply water to those unable to afford household connections. The taps became a contentious issue since no single entity was clearly responsible for operation and maintenance. The various public authorities appear to regard public water taps as a nuisance and resist paying for their construction and maintenance, although SONEDE provides the water. Poor quality taps are often broken or left open, creating a wastewater disposal problem. The projects" success is attributed to SONEDE"s professionalism and to the relatively simple procedures followed by USAID/E. It is recommended that SONEDE carry out similar projects in the future. Also, since an increased water supply produces concomitant problems of wastewater disposal, the National Office of Sanitation (ONAS) should be involved in similar future projects. Finally, a methodology for collecting baseline data should be established during the project design stage to determine benchmarks for socioeconomic evaluation indicators. (Near East Evaluation, modified)