KPI of the Day – Utilities: # Population with sewerage connections
Definition
Measures the total number of people connected to the sewerage system at the end of the reporting period.
Purpose
To indicate the number of people that have access to a sewerage system.
Recommendations
Along with access to freshwater from reliable sources, it is crucial that societies also have access to an operating sewerage system. As for the water supply access, some geographical areas benefit from a more solid and widespread system, while developing areas are under the constant threat of non-functionality and minimal connections.
It is estimated that in about 75% of the world’s territories, fewer than 10% of the population is connected to a sewer system. Thus, the monitoring of # Population with sewerage connections, is of crucial importance.
Especially within developing countries, the lack of planning and poor construction standards for the sewerage network, negatively impacts the development of an efficient framework, and thus millions of households’ connections are done via septic tanks.
Furthermore, main wastewater investments are generally focused on major conglomerate areas, thereby neglecting smaller infrastructure sewers and related household connections.
The lack of a solid infrastructure has a significant impact on the sanitation status of the affected areas, that consequently become more vulnerable to wastewater related diseases.
Given the importance of this indicator, recommendations on expanding sewerage connection include the following:
- National guidance on strategy and planning for the development of wastewater systems, recognizing the potential long-term use of on-site sanitation systems;
- An improved balance of investments in planning, design and construction to ensure sewers, drains and household connections are prioritized;
- Industry standards for sewerage system design and construction, to improve quality assurance of investment construction;
- Communication and consultation programs targeted with construction of a sewerage framework on an area-by-area basis.
Data can be collected by consulting sewage providers annual reports, sewage performance evaluation report and population census results.
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Tags: KPI, Utilities performance
