Factors impacting sustainability in rural drinking water: an integrated approach in Paraguay

The research assesses the sustainability of a program intervention in drinking-water supply in 100 rural communities in Paraguay and identifies the main factors and good practices that could correlate with higher levels of sustainability for drinking-water supply systems. The research includes an integrated assessment of the technical systems, the governance of the community-based provider, and the user’s participation. A total of 100 drinking-water systems built between 2006 and 2010 were technically and operationally revised. Surveys were conducted to 100 community-based sanitation boards (SB) and 450 beneficiary households, using systematic random sampling in 30 rural communities. Preliminary results suggest that participation of the users, the institutional capacity of the SB, the external support of a public institution – as SENASA in this case - and the reinforcement of maintenance activities seem to be key aspects to keep sustainability in rural water systems in the medium and long term.