Tapping Tariffs For Tap Water

Access to safe, reliable drinking water is essential for the well-being and development of communities. For many rural and remote villages, small or micro piped water supply systems are a practical and effective solution. These systems bring treated water closer to homes, schools, and other facilities, improving both health and convenience.

The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched by the Government of India in 2019, aims to provide piped water supply to every rural household by 2024. The success of this initiative largely depends on the ability of Gram Panchayats (GPs) and rural communities to manage and sustain their in-village water supply systems through continued operation and maintenance of these systems. However, for sustainability to be realised, the O&M approach requires is not limited to just sound technical planning but also sustainable financing. Community user tariffs, or water user charges, are one of the most viable solutions for covering these costs. Through user fees, communities can contribute to their water system’s upkeep, enhancing long term
functionality and reliability.

WaterAid India (WAI), through its grassroots interventions focused on drinking water access, has worked in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Maharashtra to support the Jal Jeevan Mission by empowering communities, particularly women, to take charge of water supply Operation and Maintenance (O&M). In MP, by the end of December 2022, the combined initiatives had achieved significant progress where the initiative had successfully prepared 2,297 Village Action Plans (VAPs), of which 2,057 received government approval. In addition, the program had completed the training of 13,799 women and youth in the use of Field Test Kits (FTKs) for water quality monitoring.
Furthermore, 3,541 members of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) and 3,089 members of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) were trained in various aspects of operation and maintenance (O&M). As a result, O&M mechanisms and water tariff collection systems were established in 796 villages, leading to a cumulative tax collection of Rs. 13.69 crore.