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Small Water Enterprise in Rural Rwanda: Business Development and Year-One Performance Evaluation of Nine Water Kiosks at Health Care Facilities

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra Huttinger

    (The Center for Global Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

  • Laura Brunson

    (The Center for Global Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
    Current address: Millennium Water Alliance, Washington, DC 20036, USA.)

  • Christine L. Moe

    (The Center for Global Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

  • Kristin Roha

    (The Center for Global Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

  • Providence Ngirimpuhwe

    (The Access Project Rwanda, Kigali, Nyarugenge District, Rwanda)

  • Leodomir Mfura

    (The Access Project Rwanda, Kigali, Nyarugenge District, Rwanda)

  • Felix Kayigamba

    (The Access Project Rwanda, Kigali, Nyarugenge District, Rwanda)

  • Philbert Ciza

    (The Republic of Rwanda Ministry of Health, Environmental Health Desk, Kigali, Kicukiro District, Rwanda)

  • Robert Dreibelbis

    (School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, The University of Oklahoma, 4, Norman, OK 73019, USA
    Current address: The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK.)

Abstract

Small water enterprises (SWEs) have lower capital expenditures than centralized systems, offering decentralized solutions for rural markets. This study evaluated SWEs in rural Rwanda, where nine health care facilities (HCF) owned and operated water kiosks supplying water from onsite water treatment systems (WTS). SWEs were monitored for 12 months. Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient (r s ) was used to evaluate correlations between demand for kiosk water and community characteristics, and between kiosk profit and factors influencing the cost model. On average, SWEs distributed 15,300 L/month. One SWE ran at a loss, four had profit margins of ≤10% and four had profit margins of 45–75%. Factors influencing SWE performance were intermittent water supply (87% of SWE closures were due to water shortage), consumer demand (demand was high where populations already used improved water sources (r s = 0.81, p = 0.02)), price sensitivity (demand was lower where SWEs had high prices (r s = −0.65, p = 0.08)), and production cost (water utility tariffs negatively impacted SWE profits (r s = −0.52, p < 0.01)). Sustainability was more favorable in circumstances where recovery of capital expenditures was not expected, and the demand for treated water was sufficient to fund operational expenditures. Future research is needed to assess the extent to which kiosk revenue can support ongoing operational costs of WTS and kiosks both at HCF and in other contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Huttinger & Laura Brunson & Christine L. Moe & Kristin Roha & Providence Ngirimpuhwe & Leodomir Mfura & Felix Kayigamba & Philbert Ciza & Robert Dreibelbis, 2017. "Small Water Enterprise in Rural Rwanda: Business Development and Year-One Performance Evaluation of Nine Water Kiosks at Health Care Facilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:12:p:1584-:d:123167
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hugo Legge & Shahana Fedele & Florian Preusser & Patrycja Stys & Papy Muzuri & Moritz Schuberth & Robert Dreibelbis, 2022. "Urban Water Access and Use in the Kivus: Evaluating Behavioural Outcomes Following an Integrated WASH Intervention in Goma and Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-15, January.
    2. Darcy M. Anderson & Ryan Cronk & Donald Fejfar & Emily Pak & Michelle Cawley & Jamie Bartram, 2021. "Safe Healthcare Facilities: A Systematic Review on the Costs of Establishing and Maintaining Environmental Health in Facilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Dagnachew Adugna & Marina Bergen Jensen & Brook Lemma & Geremew Sahilu Gebrie, 2018. "Assessing the Potential for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting from Large Public Institutions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-11, February.

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