Abstract

The importance of water projects is mostly documented; however studies on importance of local sustainability of water projects are limited. The study assessed local arrangements in the management and maintenance of community water projects. The study was conducted with thirteen Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMT) and community members. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used for data collection. The finding of the study shows that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) played a significant role in the training and retraining of WSMT in rural communities. Assess to spare parts and availability of mechanics for repair of broken pipes also took much time which compelled beneficiaries to collect unsafe water. The study shows that women representation in WSMT adhered to the national policy of thirty percent. The study also maintains that financial records of the water projects are well kept and shared with community members. Members of WSMT were also frequently replaced because of their lack of interests and the frequent transfer of members who are workers. 

Key words: Community, water, sustainability, beneficiaries and participation.