Water services and environmental health
Water, sanitation and hygiene programmes must deliver services that people can use safely and that operators can maintain. THESO's approach connects infrastructure, water quality, everyday hygiene and local management, with attention to reliability, accessibility and the costs that continue after construction.
A water point or sanitation facility is part of a wider service. Its value depends on the suitability of the source, the condition of the surrounding environment, dependable operation and whether people can reach and use it. We examine those factors together with community preferences, seasonal conditions and existing responsibilities before defining the intervention and its management arrangements.
Programme design connects household needs with the requirements of schools, health facilities and other public services where included in the agreement. Different settings need different technical and management choices. Local authorities, users and delivery partners should understand the proposed service level, the resources required, the complaints route and the responsibilities for upkeep before physical work begins.
The work in practice
Assess source suitability, seasonal availability and demand alongside the proposed abstraction, storage and distribution arrangements. Build water-quality monitoring and corrective action into the service plan. Define who operates the system, obtains consumables, responds to breakdowns and records performance across the full operating cycle.
Select sanitation options appropriate to ground conditions, available water, privacy needs and arrangements for emptying or safe closure. Pair facilities with practical hygiene support and the materials required for use. Design with women, children, older people and people with disabilities so that access and safety are considered together.
Agree a workable management structure, basic maintenance schedule and approach to financing recurrent costs. Assess affordability and the treatment of households unable to pay. Training should cover actual equipment, record keeping and escalation routes, with spare parts and qualified repair support considered before technology is selected.
Consider drainage, waste, competing water uses and the protection of the source environment. Establish accessible feedback and dispute-resolution arrangements with clear responsibilities. Review service failures with users and operators, and use the findings to improve reliability, equitable access and the management of shared resources.
Evidence & learning
These questions guide programme design and review. They are areas to measure, not claims of achieved results.
Partner in this focus area
We seek partnerships with water authorities, community organisations, competent technical providers and funders that treat construction and continued service as one responsibility. The agreement should specify the intended service level, quality checks, management model, recurrent costs and handover conditions. Infrastructure choices should remain proportionate to local capacity and the resources available for upkeep.
Discuss water, sanitation & hygieneConnected priorities