Water Committees
The biggest asset towards system maintenance is your water committee. If your community does not have a water committee managing the water system, consider implementing this step. The water committee's purpose is to collect community funds and maintain the system.
You will need to hold community-wide elections to elect your water committee. Before holding elections, make sure the community understands the purpose of the committee and what that means for the community financially. Agree on a set payment each month and gauge community buy-in. As a reference, the community where I lived collected $0.50 each month for every tap the family had. This isn't much even in poorer areas, but it was enough to pay someone a nominal fee to maintain the system and pay for any necessary parts for the repairs.
Typically a water committee consists of a president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. Review each role within the water committee. What makes an ideal candidate? Who in the community is available for these roles and has the characteristics necessary for that position?
After forming a water committee, you will need to hold a training so that each member understands the role. The president and VP are there as leaders within the community and are the glue that holds the committee together. They also ensure that the committee remains in high standing with the community. The secretary may have to learn how to take committee meeting minutes. The treasurer should learn to manage the community funds by making a book that tracks monthly payments. In addition, receipts are a good idea to reduce potential issues around money collection.
Money should be collected monthly in a designated neutral location like a school or communal meeting place. Avoid collecting money in someone's house or a church if there are various religious sects. The money should be stored in a lockable safe or box. The keys to the box should be held by someone other than the person with the safe to reduce potential issues around money collection.
Maintenance Program
A maintenance program should be established with the community by the water committee. Let the community know when maintenance will occur and how it will affect their water. More information is located here.
Maintaining Individual System Components
