In the South African context, upgrading to, and delivery of a basic water-supply service to small-community households is expected to bring benefits such as reduced exposure to contaminated drinking water. A basic water-supply service mostly means that water is distributed to the community via communal taps that are not on the households’ premises (DWA, 2003). While this is seen as an improvement, people still have to use plastic containers (mostly 20-25ℓ volume) to collect water from the taps and store in their houses (Nala et al., 2003). Authors report that, from a health-related microbial water quality perspective, the management (e.g. poor container-hygiene practices) of household containers cause microbial re-contamination of good quality water (Gundry et al., 2004; Jagals et al., 2004; Jensen et al., 2002). This implies that household container water pose a risk of microbial infection to an individual if used for drinking without any household level disinfection. Providing clean water to households, even thought they might still have to use the containers, does limit the extent of the recontamination because of consistent use with the clean water as opposed to when communities use these containers to source contaminated surface waters (Mokoena et al., 2010). When the supply system fails, which was reported to happen frequently in the study area (Rietveld et al., 2009), the affected communities will return to their original source of water, using the same containers to collect what is often contaminated water (Momba et al., 2006). While it is plausible that the probable risk of infection will change with these service inconsistencies, it has not conclusively been shown what the effect of it might be on risk. This submission demonstrates how a quantitative microbial risk assessment (WHO, 2004) can be used as a tool to assess these shifts in risk, offering another technique to assess the effectiveness of a small-community water supply service. The aim of the study was assess, after implementation with subsequent operation and maintenance of two small-community water supply schemes, the effect of service delivery on the annual risk of bacterial infection for individuals based on pathogenic E. coli in the water that the people in the community drink.

Access to safe and sufficient drinking water and adequate sanitation are now recognized as basic human rights. One Millennium Development Goal is to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015. However, ensuring sustainability of existing and new services is considered to be one of the major challenges for the water sector in the years to come. In India, in addition to service expansion, existing water service quality has been observed to be deteriorating over recent years. There is therefore an equally urgent need to address sustainability and improvement of service quality to the presently served population. In this low-income country, where water utilities are unable to recover even the service costs of operations and minor maintenance through user charges, there is a need to determine ways and means to be able to maintain a cost-effective service to consumers. For such a capital intensive service these ways have to include not only the introduction of efficiency measures but also the long-term planning of capital maintenance, that is the maintenance of the fixed assets upon which services depend. Water utilities in high-income countries have been using various fixed asset management techniques to improve asset operational efficiency, to plan capital maintenance and to demonstrate their ability to maintain and improve service to their customers. This study explores the viability of the application of asset management techniques and their potential contribution towards improving water service provision in urban centres in India. Following a literature review, a generic asset management model for a low-income country water utility was developed and then applied in the water utility serving Jaipur, Rajasthan to assess the viability of this adaptation. Having identified strengths and weaknesses during this fieldwork a revised model was proposed, including distinct phases of asset management/data intensity, which could be used as a generic approach in large urban centres in India. Following consultations with prospective users in six States, the study showed that it is feasible to take a first step towards asset management at low cost but this will require a change in the management approach. The study identified lack of relevant data as a key factor influencing an effective and comprehensive application of a generic asset management model. The study concludes that the proposed phased asset management models can contribute to improving serviceability for customers; however the concern that remains is the willingness of the organisation to adapt to the necessary changes.

The contribution of acquisition of Veolia group with Czech water supply companies to the Czech Republic. The assessment of Veolia's influence to Czech environment, to quality of citizen's daylife and to economics of the Czech Republic. Comparison with other water service suppliyng companies.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2016. / This study reports on water service delivery and it is a research that was undertaken in the Greater Giyani Municipality situated in Mopani District of Limpopo Province of the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The main aim of the study is to present the community’s perception on water service delivery challenges facing municipalities in the RSA and to make recommendations towards the development of both the community and the municipality. The motivation for this research was an upsurge in water delivery protests throughout South Africa and some of these protests have resulted in an unfortunate killing of citizens in the country during 2012, 2013 and 2014. In order to accomplish the aim of the study, several objectives were addressed. In the first part of the study, a literature review and identification of the context within which water is rendered in Greater Giyani Municipality is explained. The thesis then presents findings from the survey and an evaluation of the community perceptions of the quality of water service delivery. Following the survey report are the findings from the interviews held with municipal managers. From these combined findings recommendations are made towards water service delivery improvement. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used in the study. A questionnaire collected data from eighty five (85) participants (households) of Kremetart Township. Following the community survey, interviews were held with eight (8) municipal officials within the Greater Giyani Municipality. Respondents from the community (households) were randomly sampled, while municipal officials were purposefully sampled to represent those responsible for water service delivery. The questionnaire distributed to community members comprised of both closed and open ended questions with completion duration of 30 minutes. Semi-Structured interviews were used to derive an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon from the municipal officials. Major findings arising from the community survey are that clean water, sanitation, aging pipelines, lack of infrastructure and free basic services were the main service delivery challenges. However, from the municipal officials, issues of maladministration appeared more prevalent. The issue of maladministration emanates from the confusion of duties and functions between councillors and the council officials. Also of concern from the officials are issues of community engagement. The last area of concern raised by both the community and the municipal officials is payment for services. Whilst the municipal issues are centred on old infrastructure, the communities’ issues weigh more on payment of inadequate and unreliable services. The study makes several recommendations to the municipality, which if addressed, may improve service delivery and lead to positive perceptions by the community and towards significant development of the town. In order to overcome the challenge of service delivery, municipalities may consider prioritising capacity building, ensure that staff are recruited and employed on the basis of merit and also ensure that public participation is not hindered, especially functionality of ward committee structures.

Thesis ( M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / This study reflects on the effectiveness of municipal water service delivery in Hluvukani community in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. Since the study wanted to have an in-depth understanding of the strategies/methods that the municipality use to deliver water services effectively in Hluvukani, both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used. It is within these methodologies that a case study was adopted to seek to deepen the strategies used by government and municipal officials to address the challenges of water experienced by villagers in Hluvukani. Three methods of data collection were used, namely: interviewing, non- participant observation and documents. Hluvukani village was selected as a site for the study by means of purposive sampling. The participants interviewed included the municipal manager, the municipal officials, Hluvukani villagers and officials from the Department of Water Affairs. The documents consulted included the municipal IDP and the 2015/2016 Municipal Budget. This study found that villagers have difficulties in accessing water at Hluvukani and the water service delivery was not effective even though the municipal manager claimed otherwise. This was manifested by the strategies that were used to delivery water such as using delivery trucks to supply water to Hluvukani villages every two weeks. This, the researcher found ineffective as people had to live without water delivery for a period up to four weeks.

nÃo hà / Este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar o impacto do crÃdito e do atendimento de Ãgua no desenvolvimento dos 430 municÃpios envolvidos no Projeto de IntegraÃÃo do SÃo Francisco (PISF). Foi utilizada a metodologia dos MÃnimos Quadrados Generalizados (MQG) em modelos lineares e log-lineares, seguindo a proposta de Newey-West. Estimativas robustas de regressÃes permitem inferir que o efeito do atendimento de Ãgua no desenvolvimento à consideravelmente superior ao efeito do crÃdito de curto ou longo prazo contratados pelos municÃpios, sugerindo que, apesar da importÃncia comprovada do crÃdito no desenvolvimento de regiÃes carentes como o Nordeste, o investimento em projetos como o PISF pode alavancar de forma mais eficaz o desenvolvimento dessas localidades. / This study aims to investigates the impact of credit and water service in the development of the 430 municipalities involved in the San Francisco Integration Project (PISF). The methodology used was the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) in linear and log-linear, following the proposal of Newey-West. Regressions robust estimates allow us to infer that the effect of water service in development is considerably greater than the effect of short or longterm credit contracted by municipalities, suggesting that despite the proven importance of credit in the development of poor regions such as the Northeast, the investment in projects such as PISF can leverage more effectively the development of these locations.

Title: The Vranov Dam and the village of Bítov in the context of 20th century history Author: Bc. Eva Šabatková Department: History & History Didactics Department Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Alena Míšková, Ph.D. Abstract: This thesis is focused on the construction of the Vranov Dam and its consequences. It describes a development of dams both in the Czech republic and in the world. It also analyses reasons for a regulation of the Dyje river, possible alternatives and historical events leading to development of hydroengineering structure near the village of Vranov nad Dyjí. The paper is also focused on people's lives in the village of Bítov, which had to be flooded with regards to construction of the dam. Proposed alternatives of architectonical solution of the new village Bítov, which was built as a replacement for inhabitants of "old" Bítov, are presented, as well as the life of Georg Haas von Hasenfels, the last owner of the Bítov Castle and its abutting domain. The impact of the Vranov Dam on life in today's Bítov is mentioned and discussed at the end of the paper. Keywords: The Vranov Dam, development, Bítov, water service, Georg Haas von Hasenfels

The Blue Drop Incentive-based Regulation (programme) was introduced in 2008 by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) with the aim of maintaining and improving drinking water quality in South Africa. The programme is being implemented in order to protect consumers from water services providers who might not act in the interest of the public. For some years the confidence level of the public regarding the quality of drinking water in South Africa has not been at the desired level. The programme involves annual assessment of water services authorities by the DWA. In order for water services authorities to be awarded the Blue Drop status they are required to comply 95% in terms of the criteria used in the assessments. During the first and second years of Blue Drop assessments a number of municipalities chose not to be assessed but quite a few achieved the Blue Drop status nationally. It is against this background that the researcher undertook a study to determine how water services employees in municipalities perceive the Blue Drop programme. To achieve the study objective the mixed method involving quantitative and qualitative methodologies was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with supervisors and management while water treatment works employees completed a survey questionnaire. The qualitative and quantitative data analysis brought to light the following core findings: * The Blue Drop programme has the support of the overwhelming majority of employees who participated in the research. They perceive the programme as an inspiration for improved performance of the water services function in municipalities. * There is a lack of or poor understanding of the water sector legal framework including the Blue Drop assessment criteria by some participating employees. * There is a perceived lack of management and political leadership involvement and support for the water service function. Although the Blue Drop programme has been reported to be an excellent intervention by nearly all the participants, there are certain aspects that can be improved and are dealt with in the last chapter of the mini-dissertation. / Thesis (M Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The Blue Drop Incentive-based Regulation (programme) was introduced in 2008 by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) with the aim of maintaining and improving drinking water quality in South Africa. The programme is being implemented in order to protect consumers from water services providers who might not act in the interest of the public. For some years the confidence level of the public regarding the quality of drinking water in South Africa has not been at the desired level. The programme involves annual assessment of water services authorities by the DWA. In order for water services authorities to be awarded the Blue Drop status they are required to comply 95% in terms of the criteria used in the assessments. During the first and second years of Blue Drop assessments a number of municipalities chose not to be assessed but quite a few achieved the Blue Drop status nationally. It is against this background that the researcher undertook a study to determine how water services employees in municipalities perceive the Blue Drop programme. To achieve the study objective the mixed method involving quantitative and qualitative methodologies was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with supervisors and management while water treatment works employees completed a survey questionnaire. The qualitative and quantitative data analysis brought to light the following core findings: * The Blue Drop programme has the support of the overwhelming majority of employees who participated in the research. They perceive the programme as an inspiration for improved performance of the water services function in municipalities. * There is a lack of or poor understanding of the water sector legal framework including the Blue Drop assessment criteria by some participating employees. * There is a perceived lack of management and political leadership involvement and support for the water service function. Although the Blue Drop programme has been reported to be an excellent intervention by nearly all the participants, there are certain aspects that can be improved and are dealt with in the last chapter of the mini-dissertation. / Thesis (M Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2007 / The residents of Lebowakgomo in Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality experience numerous inequalities in relation to water services provision. Some of the residents protest towards the inequalities through refusal to pay for the water services. The confrontational non paying residents field questions which the municipality can hardly answer. The problem of refusal to pay is of the magnitude that recently the municipality had to go house-to-house pleading with the inhabitants to pay if the municipality was to continue to provide water services. The specific objectives of this study were three-fold: (1) to determine water service quality using residents’ perceptions on water services in Lebowakgomo, (2) to determine residents’ expectations and perceptions on water services in Lebowakgomo, and (3) to determine the residents’ perceptions on water service quality and customer satisfaction in Lebowakgomo using age, gender, qualification and suburb. A questionnaire comprising five dimensions, namely, tangibles, reliability, assurance, empathy and responsiveness, was compiled to collect data from three suburbs of Lebowakgomo in Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality. The original sample size was 120, with 9 becoming spoiled due to missing data. The independent variables comprised age, qualification, suburb and gender. Most of the data were analysed for kurtosis and skewness and with the exception of one variable, the rest of the data did not conform to parametric analysis criteria. The major findings of this study indicated overall negative perceptions of residents’ on four dimensions of empathy, reliability, responsiveness and assurance on water service quality which implied that the residents were dissatisfied with the service and called on management to use SERVQUAL as a valid model of assessment to identify areas requiring immediate attention for service improvement. On the other contra positive it was revealed that the municipality was doing well on the tangibles dimension. ix The study recommended use of SERVQUAL in measuring quality of other services within the constitutional competencies of the municipality and further research to investigate age contribution to service quality.