Water - Sewerage

Sewerage

Sewerage is an essential element of urban infrastructure where household water use is large and onsite disposal of wastewater (sewage) is not practical. Sewerage is defined as the system of pipes, pumps, and related facilities that conveys wastewater to a treatment plant or a disposal point.

Needs are growing rapidly for expansion of sewerage facilities as average household consumption of water rises and as urban growth and upgrading leads to the extension of piped water supply networks. But many existing sewerage networks have been poorly maintained and need rehabilitation. In water-scarce areas, sewerage systems should exploit the potential for reuse of wastewater.

Key Challenges
There are five key challenges in managing sewerage:

	Clear responsibilities and effective institutions are needed to manage expanding investment in service provision as water supply improves and sewerage needs grow.
	Networks need to expand to keep pace with urban/population growth and address needs in peri-urban areas and illegal settlements.
	Many middle-income and upper middle-income countries face needs for rehabilitation and urban upgrading, requiring (a) investment in rehabilitation and (b) a commitment to realistic and sustainable services (including cost recovery and competent management).
	Basic access and connections to existing sewers remain a challenge. Sewerage networks have low coverage in many cities, leaving people unconnected even when connection would be physically possible. Two responses are to (a) match service to demand, making a realistic demand assessment before an investment commitment is made), (b) pursue a sensible cost recovery strategy, such as charging low connection fees that are recovered on monthly basis.
	Where conventional sewerage is too costly an option, clients need to understand the alternatives, including non-water-based sanitation.

World Bank Response
Sewerage features in almost all IBRD investments for wastewater and sanitation, and is sometimes also included in IDA projects. The sewerage portfolio addresses the distinct but related needs of environmental protection, urban development, and public health. A significant percentage of the financing goes to help large cities and towns improve their infrastructure for sanitation and wastewater management. These efforts are complemented by support for sector reform—including the development of policies, norms, and standards to ensure that investments are effective and sustainable—and for strengthening utilities.