In the Pipeline: Water for the Poor Investing in Small Piped Water Networks

ADB (2008). In the pipeline : water for the poor : investing in small piped water networks. Manila, The Philippines, Asian Development Bank. 116 p. ISBN 978-971-561-747-5

Small piped water networks (SPWN) refer to the delivery of piped water services by a water provider, using materials conforming to the main utility’s standards, operated legally to bring affordable, safe, and reliable water to a community until the main utility is able to reach these consumers directly.

The SPWN toolkit is one of the major outputs of the Asian Development Bank’s Regional Technical Assistance on Implementing Pilot Projects for Small-Piped Water Networks (2005-2008). Four pilots were implemented: two in the Philippines and one each in Viet Nam and India. The toolkit includes case studies from these pilots and from similar pilots from the USAID-funded Environmental Services Program in Indonesia.

The toolkit contains five modules:

1. Project Study. This module contains the preliminary agreements must be obtained from the different stakeholders during the initial stage of the project and the conduct of a project study.
2. Business Models and Instruments. This module provides templates of implementation (business) models and contract documents that can be used by a main utility, small-scale water provider, or community-based organization in setting up the SPWN.
3. Financing. This module assists proponents in where and how to secure financing.
4. Sustainability and Acceptability Measures. This module provides measures to ensure the acceptability and sustainability of the SPWN.
5. Regulatory Measures. This module gives the proponent the requirements for creating legal and contractual conditions (formalizing licenses, exit and take-out procedures) in order for the SPWNs to be integrated into the water supply chain to the extent possible.

Read more about the toolkit here

Download the toolkit here