Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 2019

Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 2 On This Day of 2019 This Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy for Imo State is hereby Approved His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (CON,KSC) Governor, Imo State. Imo State Government WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) POLICY 2019 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 4 WASH Policy 2019 5 Executive Summary: 12 Introduction: 15 Overview of Imo State: 24 Water and Sanitation in Imo State: 31 Policy Rational: 36 Fundamental Guiding Principle for the Policy : 40 Policy Strategy: 43 WASH institutional Arrangement: 59 Legal Reforms: 71 Sector Financing Options: 73 Conclusion: 76 Table of Conent Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 6 TABLE 1: Imo State targets for water supply coverage: 12 TABLE 2: Targets for Sanitation and Coverage 15 TABLE 3: Consumption standards and Service levels – (Water). 24 TABLE 4: Shows the Water Demand of Imo State Population From 2015 to 2030 By LGA. The Period is the Target Period to be Covered by this Wash Policy for Attainment ff SDGs. 31 TABLE 5: The Number of Registered Hotels and Restaurants In Imo State, 2019 36 TABLE 6: List Of LGAs In Imo State and their Population Figures Projected from 2006 Census Figure. 40 TABLE 7: Imo State Urban Population Growth 1991 - 2010 43 TABLE 8: Disaggregated Population of Imo State, 2015 59 List of Figures List of Tables Political Map of Imo State 25 Hydrogeological Map of Imo State 25 25 WASH Policy 2019 7 List of Acronyms Abbreviations and Acronyms Meaning ADPs Agricultural Development Programs AIRBDA Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority AFDB African Development Bank AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome CBOs Community-Based Organizations CGCs Community Government Councils CLTS Community-Led Total Sanitation CSOs Civil Society Organizations CWC Community Water Committee DFID Department for International Development DHS Demographic and Health Survey ESA External Support Agency E-WASH Effective Water Supply, sanitation and Hygiene FEPA Federal Environmental Protection Agency FMWR Federal Ministry of Water Resources FOAM Focus on Opportunity, Ability and Motivation. GCCC Government Cash Counterpart Contribution GESI Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion GIS Geographic Information System HIF Hygiene Improvement Frameworks HIV Human Immune Virus ISWSC Imo State Water and sewerage Corporation ISWSRC Imo State Water Supply and Sewerage Regulatory commission IWADA Imo State Water Development Agency JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency JNP Joint Monitoring Program LDP Local Development Plan Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 8 LG Local Government LGA Local Government Area MDGs Millennium Development Goals MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey MPUPS Ministry of Public Utilities and Public Safety MPURD Ministry of Public Utility and Rural Development NEEDS National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy NESP National Environmental Sanitation Policy NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations NUWSRP National Urban Water Sector Reform Project NWRI National Water Resources Institute O & M Operations and Maintenance PPP Public-Private Partnership R & D Research and Development RWH Rain Water Harvesting RUWASSA Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency SEEDs State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy SDG Sustainable Development Goals SLTS School-Led Total Sanitation SUBEB School Universal Basic and Education Board STOWA Small Town Water and Sanitation Agency TB Tuberculosis UN United Nations UNDP United Nation Development Program UNICEF United Nations Children Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VIP Ventilated Improved Pit VLOM Village Level Operation and Maintenance WASH Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene WCF WASH Customer Forum WCA Water Consumer Association WHO World Health Organization WWD World Water Day WASH Policy 2019 9 Definition of Terms: 1.0. A rural water supply scheme is defined as a simple scheme serving a population of less than 5,000 people with minimum supply standard of 50 litres/per capita per day. 1.1. A semi-urban water supply scheme is defined as a scheme providing water to population between 5,000, - 20,000 with a minimum supply standard of 80 litres/capita per day. 1.2. An urban water supply scheme is defined as that providing water to a population larger than 20,000 people with a minimum supply standard of 120 litres/per capita per day. 1.3. Basic service means a protected, year-round supply of 50 litres/ per capita per day above the 30 litres basic minimum utilized by UN Agencies preferably within 250 metres of the community and not exceeding 500 metres, serving about 250 persons 1.per outlet. 1.4. Access to water: Access to safe water is defined as the availability of potable water of at least 50 litres per person per day, located within 250-500 meters of every household. Access to safe drinking-water also includes coverage which refers to the percentage of the population accessing "improved" water sources. Access to water supply is not merely dependent on the existence of a water source, but it further involves a range of other aspects such as: » Regularity: how frequent is the service available to people and when; » Sufficiency: how much water is available per person (the level of service); » Affordability: how much do people have to pay for the service, particularly in relation to their income; can they afford it? » Quality: what is the quality (of water and sanitation facilities) of the service available; and, » Safety: how safe and culturally acceptable is the access to and use of facilities, especially for women and children who must rely on facilities outside the household (e.g. public toilets). 1.5. Sustainable access has two components with respect to water: » One stands for environmental sustainability, the other for functional sustainability. » The former insists on environmental protection through limiting extraction of water to a capacity below what is available. The latter reflects program sustainability in terms of supply and management.” 1.6. Access to Sanitation: The basic level of service is of at least one sanitary latrine to serve 10 persons in the community and 50 persons in the school environment. Public sanitary facilities must be accessible within 200 metres of need. 1.7. Affordability: The extent to which prices (e.g., water supply and sanitation) are within the financial means of users is important. An important consideration in service planning relating to choice of service level and pricing. Affordability measures relate to average household water charges to average household’s income. The standard measurement is that households are not expected to spend more than 5% of income on water and sewerage. 1.8. Community: A group of people living in a particular place and usually linked by common interests 1.9. Cross-Subsidy: A pricing strategy in which some users pay below average tariff (subsidized), while others pay above average tariff (subsidizers). Cross subsidies are commonly used in the water and sanitation sector in an attempt to provide basic services at low or no cost to the poor. 1.10. Demand-Responsive Approaches: An approach to infrastructure service planning in which households or communities select a level of service that corresponds to their needs, preferences, and ability to contribute both to initial capital costs and ongoing operation and maintenance. 1.11. Drinking Water: All water either in its original state or after treatment, intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation or other domestic purposes, regardless of its origin and whether it is supplied from a drinking water system, or a tanker, or taken from a private source. All water used in any food production undertaking for the manufacture, processing, preservation or marketing of products or substances intended for human consumption Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 10 1.12. Community Managed Water Systems: On-site or centralized drinking water systems protected, operated and maintained (small maintenance only) by community water committee. 1.13. Drinking Water Quality Control: Water tests conducted on routine basis by the water utility or a water quality expert to ensure that water supplied to the consumers meet the standard. (NDWQS) 1.14. Drinking Water Quality Surveillance: Water tests, sanitary inspections and spot checks conducted by an independent agency to ensure that water utilities and other suppliers meet the Standard (NDWQS, and WHO). 1.15. Drinking Water Service Level: Measure of quality, quantity, accessibility, coverage, affordability and continuity of drinking water supplied to the population 1.16. Basins: A Geographical area drained by a single major stream; consists of a drainage system comprised of streams and often natural or man-made lakes. Also referred to as Drainage Basin, Watershed, or Hydrographic Region. 1.17. Drainage Basin Part of the surface of the earth that is occupied by a drainage system, which consists of a surface stream or water body together with all tributary surface streams and water bodies. The term is used synonymously with watershed, river basin, or catchment. 1.18. Groundwater Basin A groundwater basin is an underground reserve of water which may take the form of a single aquifer or a group of linked aquifers. 1.19. Independent Providers: Private entrepreneurs who provide supply service, for example; water supply or sanitation services to customers for negotiated prices. Contrast with public utilities or agencies. 1.20. Kiosk: A stationary vending location, typically staffed by an attendant, where water is sold or distributed by the container. 1.21. Latrine: a receptacle (as a pit in the earth) for use as a toilet 1.22. Pour-flush toilet: a type of latrine that requires the use of little water to flush the feaces 1.23. Integrated Water Resource Management(IWRM): is a process that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. 1.24. Improved drinking water sources are defined in terms of the types of technology and levels of services that are more likely to provide safe water than unimproved technologies. Improved water sources include household connections, public standpipes, boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs, and rainwater collections. 1.25. Unimproved water sources include: unprotected dug well, unprotected spring, surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, canal, irrigation channels), cart with small tank/drum, tanker-truck and any other type of supply. 1.26. Improved sanitation facilities are defined in terms of the types of technology and levels of services that are designed to ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact. An “improved toilet facility” includes only the following- Flush/pour flush toilet connected to piped sewer system, Flush/pour flush toilet connected to a septic tank, Flush/pour-flush latrine connected to a pit, Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine, Simple pit latrine with slab (slab that can be cleaned), Composting toilet, Shared facility of the improved type, accessible and hygienic 1.27. Unimproved Sanitation Facilities are facilities which do not ensure separation of human excreta from human contact, examples are: Flush/pour-flush latrine that empties elsewhere without connection to a piped sewerage system, septic tank, or pit, Flush/pour-flush latrine with unknown drainage, Pit latrine without slab/open pit, Bucket latrine (where excreta are manually removed), Hanging toilet/latrine, Shared facility of the improved type or no signs of access or not hygienic, Open defecation in field or bush, into plastic bags (‘flying toilets’), and any other type of defecation. 1.28. Sanitation: For our purpose, sanitation is the safe management of human excreta, including its safe confinement treatment, disposal and associated hygiene-related practices. While this policy pertains to management of human excreta and associated public health and environmental impacts, it is recognized that integral solutions need to consider other elements of environmental sanitation, i.e. solid waste management; generation of industrial and other specialized / hazardous wastes; drainage; the management of drinking water supply. 1.29.Adequate Sanitation: An Adequate sanitation must meet social, cultural, technological, user satisfaction and environment friendly criteria. Adequate sanitation means access to safe excreta disposal facilities, services to households, public facilities, and disposal of liquid and solid wastes without contamination of water sources that can lead to health hazards to people and deterioration of the environment WASH Policy 2019 11 1.30. Water Service Provider: an organization or person engaged in the processes, activities, means and resources necessary for abstracting, treating, distributing or supplying drinking water and for providing the associated services. Drinking water service providers are usually States Water Agencies. (prefer the word ‘essentially’ taking cognizance of other service providers) 1.31. Sewerage, Sewer, Sewerage: Sewerage is the effluent in a pipe network. Sewer is the conduit - usually a pipe - used to carry off water and waste matter. Sewerage is the complete system of sewers 1.32. Subsidies: a grant by a government to a person or company to assist an enterprise, generally to supplement the low income in securing services. 1.33. Standpipe, stand post: A pipe riser with a tap (faucet) used as a source of water delivery, usually strategically located to ensure ease of access to the public. 1.34. Ventilated Improved Pit latrine (VIP) a dry latrine system, with a screened vent pipe to trap flies and often with double pits to allow use on a permanent rotating basis. Considered a safe, hygienic means of excreta disposal. 1.35. Water Supply Regulators: Independent regulatory bodies that monitor the performance of water utilities or any other water supply operators and ensure that the water supply complies with quality standard and service levels 1.36. Water Source: means either groundwater or surface water. Surface water includes streams, rivers, lakes or reservoirs. Ground water includes springs, wells or boreholes 1.37. Water Safety Plan: Essential actions that are the responsibility of the drinking water provider in order to ensure that drinking water is safe. These are: system assessment; effective operational monitoring; and management. 1.38. Water Vendors: These are persons or organizations selling water to households or at collection points. Vendors may carry drinking water for sale directly to the Consumer by tanker trucks, wheelbarrows /trolleys or donkey carts. 1.39. Willingness to pay: is the maximum price or below which a consumer will buy water supplied and/or sanitation service. 1.40. Safely managed Water Supply: Drinking water located on premises , available when needed and free from contamination(Fecal and priority chemical contamination) 1.41. Safely managed sanitation: Use of improved facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed of in situ or transported and treated off site Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 12 The above was as a result of the recommendations from the baseline Study which focused on Imo state WASH sector level diagnostic analysis and action planning of institutional, policy, regulatory/legal and governance framework that was conducted by USAID(E-WASH). The Baseline report identified the need for Imo State Government to review the WASH policy and legislations to provide enabling environment that will transform to the achievement of the SDGs in the State. This policy applies the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management for sustainable delivery of WASH services. It was developed with the assistan- ce of the USAID/E-WASH, thus provides the required frameworks for improved water and sanitation service delivery in Imo State within the context of the National Water and Sanitation Policy thereby proposing novel in- itiatives in the restructuring of the WASH Sector in Imo State which include: The Purpose of the WASH Policy is to review the current status of the Imo State Water Supply and Sanitation Sector with a view to identifying the challenges militating against sustainable development of the WASH sector and undermining the achievement of the SDGs as well as proffering options and solutions for addressing these challenges. The policy then proposes a framework for sustainable development, water governance, fiscal responsibility, accountability and regulation. Executive Summary • The review of an institutional and legal framework to promote the clear separation of functions amongst all participants; with government retaining the role of Policy maker, facilitator and financier of water in- vestments in the short to medium term. • The establishment of a new Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STOWA) whose fo- cus is to be on small towns and other peri urban cities with specific solutions for service delivery tailored to the needs and peculiarities of such pla- ces including cost recovery mechanisms. • The recommendations that the Imo State Water Corporation shall maintain and operate the status of a corporate entity with full autonomy using com- mercialization principles for cost recovery. • The recommendation that the ownership, operati- on and maintenance of rural water supply facilities shifts to communities with support and technical assistance from the newly reformed RUWASSA. WASH Policy 2019 13 • The introduction of The Imo State WASH Supply and Sewerage Regulatory Commission (ISWSRC) which shall serve as the sector regulator. It shall enforce the applicable regulations, maintain order and ensure sus- tainability of the investments in the sector while ensu- ring qualitative service to customers. • The renaming of the parent Ministry for WASH as Mi- nistry of Water Resources in the State for ownership of the sector. • The introduction of the WASH Sector Coordination/ Steering Committee which is made of all key players in the sector headed by the Executive Governor or his representative. The committee shall meet Quarterly to assess the Water Sector Development Action Plans (WSDP) presented by the Ministry and ensure that pro- posed interventions in the sector are done in a coordi- nated manner. • This policy seeks to encourage the formation of WASH Customer Forum at the urban level, and Water Consu- mer Association at the semi urban and WASHcoms at the Rural to create a sense of ownership of schemes to ensure sustainability in operations and maintenance especially in the Small Towns and Rural Areas. • The Policy promotes the need for regular data ga- thering exercises for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating projects and programs in the sector in order to determine the baseline as well as identify areas for improvement. • The Policy promotes the need to develop a suitable water quality monitoring and enforcement strategy in accordance with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality(NSDWQ) and the proposed legislative framework in the State. • The introduction of water safety plans to ensure the saf- ety of drinking water using comprehensive risk assess- ment and management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer. • The Policy provides extensive recommendations re- garding sanitation and hygiene. Good water supply must be accompanied by good hygiene, health and sa- fety practices otherwise the benefit of the water supply service to the people would be lost to a proliferation of endemic diseases. • The Policy promotes the need to develop the skills and competences of all the agencies and other services providers in the sector by incorporating structured ca- pacity building programs relevant for all staff to impro- ve service delivery and reliability in the sector. • The Policy provides for periodic Policy review, Im- plementation and monitoring will be undertaken by a cross section of stakeholders in a Committee specifi- cally mandated for this purpose. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 14 WASH Policy 2019 15 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background to Policy Development Imo State Water and Sanitation Policy aims to provide a framework for engagement in the WASH sector to support its core business: water supply and sanitation services to urban, small towns and rural areas. While not an operatio- nal plan, it is guided by ongoing water sector reforms and is based on established processes for the management of water resources in an integrated manner within the context of Imo State in Nigeria. It sets out Policy objectives to address issues on sector coordination, funding, financial flows, technology choice, community management, operation, maintenance, and me- chanisms for sustainable service delivery. The Policy aims to provide context for involvement and participation by Fe- deral and State MDAs, External Support Agencies, NGOs and the private sector in the development and utilization of water resources, human resources; water research and development; information management, monitoring and evaluation within the water and Sanitation sector in the Sta- te and creating an enabling environment for Public-Private Partnership (PPP). In addition, it aims to articulate how Imo State should be involved and engaged in hygiene and he- alth promotion. For years, water services in Imo State used a “top-down and supply-side approach, which has failed in the State due to many reasons including poor revenue generation and non-stakeholders’ participation; poor management, weak infrastructure and inadequate financial resources. The avai- lability of water in both quantity and quality is being severely affected by climate variability, sand mining activities and pollution. Demand is increasing as a result of population growth and other demographic changes (urbanization) and agricultural and industrial expansion following changes in consumption and production patterns. Thus, demand is outstripping supply at a critical time of the year or in years of low water availability. Similarly, in Imo State, groundwater is a viable and criti- cal source of water including for domestic use, livestock, irrigation farming and industry. The on-going groundwater resources development in the state is being carried out (th- rough proliferation of boreholes) without sufficient knowled- ge of the resource potential, in terms of quantity and quality, due to lack of data and adequate regulations to monitor the activity. This has led to both underutilizations, and in some places overexploitation and interference in the existing groundwater sources which has resulted in Aquifer conta- mination and Pollution. The underlying philosophy of this Policy is that people of Imo State must start viewing water as a key to socio-eco- nomic growth as it has a direct effect on the population’s health conditions, environmental preservation and internati- onal development (i.e. global initiatives such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and other poverty reduction strategy processes). Water should also be seen as a scar- ce commodity having real value which must as a matter of urgency be managed holistically as it has a basic function in contributing to maintaining the integrity of the natural en- vironment. There are thus two major principal goals of this Policy which are; 1. Protecting and enhancing the quality of the water resources; Promoting the wise and efficient management and use of water. 2. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 16 Introduction to our Company This Policy document domesticates relevant provisions in the National Water and Sanitation Policy, and its develop- ment was driven by local stakeholders, whose inputs (ga- thered through several participatory meetings), have been widely reflected. The content of this policy also reflects and conforms to the goals, objectives and aspirations expres- sed in the WASH Action plan and the Imo State SEEDS which have documented long and medium-term strategies for development of the State. It also focuses on taking the State to achievement of SDGs 6 as it relates to water and sanitation sector in Imo State. 1.2 Policy Context 1.2.1 Policy Purpose The Imo State WASH Policy provides the framework for the development, conservation, sustainable use and manage- ment of the water resources of Imo State. The current thrust of the State WASH Policy is for government to gradually discontinue being a service provider by restructuring gover- nment owned utilities to operate on commercial principles for cost recovery. This WASH Policy takes the direction of the Imo State Go- vernment into account in its formulation and as such ex- pects that utilities in the sector under the supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources will eventually transform into incorporated companies where feasible. This will allow for the emergence and the development of professionally ma- naged and commercially oriented government institutions while at the same time directing the focus of government to one of policy implementation and promoting enabling en- vironment for independent sector regulation. The Imo State WASH Policy also recognizes that due to the The Imo State WASH Policy also recognizes that due to the capital-intensive requirements of the sector, Government will continue to make capital investment in water supply inf- rastructure in the short and medium term. It is expected that the WASH Policy will provide a good governance structure that will create enabling environment for the water sector in which the delivery of water related services are optimi- zed and as a result of which consumers are empowered to choose the services they want and are willing to pay for. The framework and path provided by this Policy will without doubt ensure sustainable development, operation and ma- nagement of Water and Sanitation service delivery in Imo State. 1.2.2 Main Policy Goal and Objectives The overall goal of Imo State Water supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Policy is to ensure that adequate safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene is available and provided to her citi- zens at an affordable cost in a sustainable manner in order to promote their health, dignity, economic well-being and improved livelihood. The main Policy objectives are: • To provide guidance and direction in institutional, eco- nomic and legal reforms that will lead to improved wa- ter governance at all levels throughout the State. • To improve access (in quality and quantity) to safe and adequate water supply and provide adequate sanitati- on and hygiene in an affordable and sustainable way for the people of Imo State. • To advance the management and sustainability of wa- ter resources considering the integrated water resource management principles of protection and conservation of water resources that are identified as having eco- nomic, social, cultural and environmental significance. The specific Policy objectives of Imo State Water and Sanitation Policy are: • To provide safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene. • To increase access to safe water and effective sanitati- on and hygiene for all residents in Imo State using effi- cient technologies with low maintenance costs. • To reduce the incidence of water-related diseases. • To provide a strategic framework for the design and sustainable implementation of integrated interventions in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. • To stimulate increased investment and funding in the sector. • To develop innovative solutions to water, sanitation and hygiene challenges • To promote market principles and encourage private sector participation in the sector. WASH Policy 2019 17 1.2.3 Policy Vision Statement A State with an integrated approach to the design of water resources management in an efficient manner towards a sustainable, safe, uninterrupted, accessible and affordable water supply, sanitation and hygiene services to her citizens who are aware of their WASH responsibilities. To ensure effective planning and coordination of the WASH sector that clearly results in the delivery of sustainable, accessible and affordable safe water, sanitation and hygiene services to the residents of Imo State as well as for food production, agriculture and fisheries and for industries and commerce in the State. To ensure that adequate safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene is available and provided to her citizens at an affordable cost in a sustainable manner in order to promote their health, dignity, economic well-being and improved livelihood. To provide guidance and direction in institutional, economic and legal reforms that will lead to improved water governance at all levels throughout the State. To improve access (in quality and quantity) to safe and adequate water supply and provide adequate sanitation and hygiene in an affordable and sustainable way for the people of Imo State. To advance the management and sustainability of water resources considering the integrated water resource management principles of protection and conservation of water resources that are identified as having economic, social, cultural and environ- mental significance. To provide safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene. To increase access to safe water and effective sanitation and hygiene for all residents in Imo State using efficient technologies with low maintenance costs. To reduce the incidence of water-related diseases. To provide a strategic framework for the design and sustainable implementation of integrated interventions in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. To stimulate increased investment and funding in the sector. To develop innovative solutions to water, sanitation and hygiene challenges To promote market principles and encourage private sector participation in the sector. GOAL main Policy objectives specific Policy objectives 1.2.4 Policy Mission Statement Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 18 1.2.5 Justification for Policy Initiative Water is a socio-economic good but is a limited resource. The current State production levels of good quality water do not sufficiently cater for the envisaged increase in consumer demand which is expected to grow in line with the on-going increase in population of the State. At the same time, it is expected that there will be an increase in the development of commercial, recreational and industrial activities within the State. Following the identification of critical management issues relating to the sustainable use and management of water re- sources in Imo State these issues need to be fully addressed through a coordinated approach involving all stakeholders. A summary of these critical issues include: Fragmented control, roles overlap, management and protection of water resources by various institutions. Lack of direction defining the strategic aims of the sector, weak institutional and regulatory framework for administration and service delivery. High operating and maintenance costs, inadequate human resource and capacity, weak sector coordination, inadequate funding, poor revenue collection, inadequate and low investment in water infrastructure, limited private sector participation in the State. Non reflective water tariff, low revenue collection and High level of Non-revenue water. Public Health and Sanitation. Need for deeper Community understanding and appreciation of sustainable water management leading to greater and improved Community participation and involvement in water resources management particularly at the rural level. Competing and conflicting demands for water resources by both consumptive and non-consumptive users (Hoteliers). Lack of a strong functional regulatory authority. Planning for irrigation and agriculture activities. Exploration of tourism, recreation and navigation opportunities. Environmental, pollution and conservation regulations. Requirement for comprehensive State legislation making provision for cross sectoral coordination. 1.3 Policy Trust 1.2.1 Policy Purpose The Imo State WASH Policy thrust is to attain and sustain the SDGs target No 6 on water supply and sanitation by the year 2030 and for government to discontinue being service provider by restructuring government owned utilities to operate on commercial principles for cost recovery. The Policy of government includes investing directly in the sector and sourcing for additional investments from develop- ment partners and the private sector. Furthermore, the government will: Provide the right Policy and a conducive environ- ment for private sector investment in the provision of potable water through the introduction and enforcement of Reform Principles of coordinated Public-Private partnership, Community and De- velopment Partners/Donor Agencies participation as well as institutional strengthening and public health education. Modernize the management of the sector by intro- ducing modern equipment, training, and creating enabling environment for affordable, safe, adequate and improved WASH services in a clean and he- althy environmentally sustainable manner. i ii WASH Policy 2019 19 1.4 Policy Trust 1.4.1. Policy Targets In line with the Policy vision, goals and objectives, Imo State shall strive to achieve the following targets for water supply and sanitation coverage by the year 2019, 2023, 2027 and 2030 respectively. Increase access to potable water in Rural settlements from the present 2259m3 to 103,000m3 by 2030. To rehabilitate and restore Otamiri water scheme to its designed capacity and upgrade deserving ones. Provision of Sewage treatment plants in each of the three senatorial districts (Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri) in the State. Provision of water and gender sensitive sanitation facilities in all public schools. 1.4.2 Water and Sanitation Coverage Targets TSafe water supply coverage targets for Imo State are as follows: WATER SUPPLY COVERAGE TARGETS 2019 2023 2027 2030 URBAN 65% 75% 85% 100% SUB URBAN 65% 75% 85% 100% RURAL 55% 75% 90% 100% AVERAGE 61% 75% 86% 100% The initial target is to improve water service coverage from 61% in 2019 to 75% by the year 2023. a. Extension of service coverage to 86% of the population by the year 2027. b. Extension of service coverage to 100% of the popula- tion in the year 2030. c. Sustain 100% full coverage of water supply and sani- tation services for the growing population beyond the year 2030 SANITATION COVERAGE TARGETS 2019 2023 2027 2030 URBAN 80% 90% 95% 100% SUB URBAN 80% 90% 95% 100% RURAL 75% 85% 95% 100% AVERAGE 78% 88% 95% 100% TABLE 1: Imo State targets for water supply coverage TABLE 2: Targets for Sanitation and Coverage The following consumption and WSS facility standards shall be assumed for planning purposes in Imo State. Imo State will meet the WASH Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets whereby the proportion of people wi- thout sustainable access to improved sanitation will be reduced by half by 2024 and 100 per cent population will be served by 2030 with improved sanitation. Baseline Survey of 2015 using ACKVO FLOW technique shows that, if the State is to meet the SDGs, measures must be taken to provide about 1800 units of toilets yearly for the next five (5) years. By the year 2030, sanitation coverage levels are expected to be as follows: a. Rural: Each household in rural areas (community of population of less than 5,000) must own and have access to safe sanitary facility of at least VIP latrine b. Small Towns: Each household in semi-urban areas (population of 5,000 to 20,000) must own and have access to safe sanitary facility of at least VIP latrine. c. Urban: Each household in urban areas (population above 20,000) must own and have access to safe sa- nitary facility of at least pour-flush toilet. Service Levels- (Sanitation) Technology options that could be promoted in rural areas for sanitation include: For households a. The Sanplat (Sanitary Platform) latrine; b. Single deep pit V.I.P latrine c. Traditional latrines Increase access to potable water In Urban and Small Towns from the present 3360m/day to 653,367m/day by 2030. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 20 For communal use in Schools, Health centres, Markets and other public places a. Pour flush toilets b. Multi-compartment alternating V.I.P latrine Rural Sanitation: Each household in rural areas (community of population of less than 5,000) must own and have access to safe sanitary facility with at least minor improvements that would reduce flies, odour, etc. (at least upgraded pit latrine). Semi-urban sanitation: Each household in semi-urban areas (population of 5,000 to 20,000) must own and have access to safe sanitary facility that is easily adaptable to existing traditional pit latrine and uses superstructures which blend very well with other buil- dings within the community. Urban sanitation: Each household in urban areas (population above 20,000) must own and have access to safe sanitary facility that uses suitable and affordable water conveyance systems. 1.5. Domestic Water Demand Domestic consumption is estimated based on water de- mand per capita per day, the water demand being depen- dent on the degree of urbanization and the availability of the water. For rural areas in Imo State, a provision of 50 litres / capita per day is assumed, 80 liters/day in small town areas and 120 litres /capita per day in urban centers. Settlement Size Consumption Standard Rural Population of less than 5,000 At least 50 litres per capita per day Small Town Population of 5,000 - 20,000. At least 80 litres per capita per day Urban Population greater than 20,000 At least 120 litres per capita per day Rural Water Supply guarantees minimum level of service of 50 liters/capita per day within 250 meters of the communi- ty of 1 to 5,000 people, serving about 250-500 persons per water point. Small Towns Water Supply represent settlements with population of between 5,000-20,000 with a fair measure of social infrastructure and some level of economic activity with minimum supply standard of 80 liters/capita per day with reticulation and limited or full house connections as de- termined by the beneficiaries / Government. Urban Water Supply 120 liters/capita per day for urban areas with population greater than 20,000 inhabitants to be served by full reticulation and consumer premises connec- tion. • The Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality shall be the minimum standard for monitoring and measuring wa- ter quality in the State. However, this Policy specifies that where necessary and applicable, Imo State shall develop any other state-specific standards in collaboration with Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) 1.6. Industrial Water Demand Domestic consumption is estimated based on water de- mand per capita per day, the water demand being depen- dent on the degree of urbanization and the availability of the water. For rural areas in Imo State, a provision of 50 litres / capita per day is assumed, 80 liters/day in small town areas and 120 litres /capita per day in urban centers. 1.7. State Water Demand Projection to targeted year proposed The Baseline Survey of 2015 using ACKVO FLOW technique shows that in terms of water demand and access, the pro- jected population of Imo State in 2015 is 5,221,794 out of which 2,044, 099 or 39% live in the rural areas, 1,858,620 or 36% live in small towns and 1,319,075 or 25% live in urban centers. The total water demanded in the State was about 175,786 m3/day for 2015. However, in 2020 the total water demand will be 432,763m3/day, in other words by 2030, the total water demand will be 653,367m3/day. It is estimated that about 25% of the people live in Ur- ban centers while 36% live in Small Towns/Semi-Urban area. The rest 39% live in rural communities. The estima- ted total demand for water to meet the needs of people is 432,763m3/day, but only about ¼ of the population is nearly adequately served. This situation clearly makes water sup- ply and sanitation services delivery a critical issue to Imo State Government. TABLE 3: Consumption standards and Service levels – (Water). 50 litres/capita per day 80 litres/capita per day 120 litres/capita per day WASH Policy 2019 21 social infrastructure and some level of economic activity with minimum supply standard of 80 liters/capita per day with reticulation and limited or full house connections as determined by the beneficiaries / Government. LGA 2015 2020 2025 2030 Population Water demand (m3) Population Water demand (m3) Population Water demand (m3) Population Water demand (m3) ABOH MBAISE 259,056 13,014 302,731 31,695 368,393 38,571 414,815 43,431 AHIAZU MBAISE 227,196 5,835 265,500 17,815 323,086 21,679 363,799 24,410 EHIME MBANO 173,665 7,149 202,944 18,488 246,962 22,498 278,082 25,331 EZINIHITTE MBAISE 224,460 7,229 262,303 16,420 319,196 25,153 359,418 28,321 IDEATO NORTH 207,694 8,030 242,710 20,848 295,354 25,370 332,571 28,567 IDEATO SOUTH 211,010 5,682 246,585 16,274 300,069 19,803 337,881 22,299 IHITTE/UBOMA 158,827 3,522 185,605 10,505 225,862 12,784 254,323 14,395 IKEDURU 199,150 6,542 232,726 17,966 283,204 21,863 318,890 24,618 ISIALA MBANO 262,703 5,496 306,993 16,178 373,579 21,895 420,655 22,169 ISU 218,556 5,743 255,404 17,597 310,800 21,413 349,964 24,112 MBAITOLI 315,840 10,675 369,089 30,265 449,144 36,828 505,741 41,470 NGOR- OPKALA 209,951 5,779 245,348 16,124 298,563 19,434 336,185 22,269 NJABA 190,835 4,460 223,009 13,343 271,379 16,337 305,576 18,395 NKWERRE 106,759 3,867 124,758 10,329 151,818 12,570 170,949 14,154 NWANGELE 169,829 5,588 198,461 14,864 241,507 18,087 271,940 20,367 OBOWO 156,185 3,613 182,516 10,823 222,104 17,768 250,091 14,830 OGUTA 189,312 6,781 221,229 15,599 269,213 22,182 303,137 24,978 OHAJI/EGBEMA 243,245 9,895 284,255 26,037 345,909 31,685 389,498 35,607 OKIGWE 176,492 5,725 206,248 15,530 250,983 18,898 282,609 21,279 ONUIMO 132,159 3,233 154,441 9,842 187,939 11,933 211,621 13,437 ORLU 189,913 8,746 221,932 22,082 270,068 26,870 304,100 30,261 ORSU 159,898 3,677 186,856 11,024 227,385 13,416 256,037 15,105 ORU EAST 148,618 3,642 173,674 11,028 211,344 13,420 237,976 15,111 ORU WEST 153,886 6,726 179,831 16,778 218,836 20,417 246,411 26,989 OWERRI NORTH 166,698 10,511 194,803 18,740 237,055 22,805 266,926 25,677 OWERRI WEST 234,524 4,625 274,064 21,925 333,508 26,680 375,533 30,041 OWERRI URBAN 135,333 10,002 158,149 18,788 192,451 22,863 216,702 25,744 TOTAL 5,221,794 175,787 6,102,164 432,763 7,425,711 582,222 8,361,430 653,367 TABLE 4: Shows the Water Demand of Imo State Population From 2015 to 2030 By LGA. The Period is the Target Period to be Covered by this Wash Policy for Attainment ff SDGs. 2020 = 432,763 m3/day 2025 = 582,222 m3/day 2030 = 653,367 m3/day Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 22 1.8. Water Governance Policy Targets By 2030, water governance systems will be in place to achieve the following: • Participatory processes: All citizens of Imo State will have a voice in Water and Sanitation planning proces- ses, either directly or through organizations represen- ting their interests. • Transparency: Information will flow freely between different stakeholders and decisions/decision-making processes will be transparent and open to public scru- tiny. • Integrated planning: Water and Sanitation decisi- on-making will take place within an Integrated Water Resource Management Framework (IWRM Frame- work). As such, dialogue would be encouraged both horizontally between stakeholders at same level (e.g. inter-sectoral planning) and vertically between, stake- holders at the state, LGA and community levels. • Poverty reduction and social Inclusiveness: Water and Sanitation planning at all levels will be aligned with poverty reduction and Gender, Equity and Social inclu- sive strategies. In many cases, this will involve increase in the participation of the poor in a gender balanced manner and the marginalized in planning processes and recognize the importance of making water availab- le for small-scale productive/commercial uses 1.9. Water Resources Management Targets By the end of 2030, water management initiatives and inno- vations will lead to the establishment of: • State-wide Water Information Database: Establish- ment of a state-wide water management information database. As a minimum, this system must ensure that stakeholders at all levels have access to good quality water-related information. • Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM): Establishment of State-wide IWRM plans will aim at sustaining, efficient and equitable water management and protection of fragile ecosystem. • Regulatory Framework: Regulatory body for the wa- ter sector shall be fully established and operational 1.10. Water and Sanitation Facilities Standard: This Policy seeks to meet minimum standards as set below: • The minimum water and sanitation facilities for rural communities and small towns shall be improved latri- ne, with special focus on CLTS while that of urban area shall be pour flush toilet system. • Designated areas to serve as collection points and recycling to take care of urban solid and liquid was- te and sanitation shall have a minimum clearance of about 5km radius or as may be determined by the re- levant Ministry from where there shall be no drinking water sources. WASH Policy 2019 23 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 24 2.0 Overview of Imo State 2.1 Imo State Geographic and Social Economic Profile 2.1.1 Political & Administrative Structure Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new States created under the leadership of the late military ru- ler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been previously part of East-Central State. The State is named after the Imo River. Part of it was carved out in 1991 as Abia State and another part later became Ebonyi State. Owerri is the state capital of Imo State. There are three arms of Government in Imo State, the Exe- cutive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. The State House of Assembly is made up of twenty-seven members with the Speaker as the leader. The State Assembly is responsible for making laws for governing the State. The Judiciary is the third arm of the Government and is headed by the Chief Judge. This is the arm that interprets the Constitution and laws made by the National and State Assemblies for the ad- ministration of justice. In addition, there are twenty-seven Local Government Areas in the State to be run by elected Chairmen. There are also elected councilors from each of the electoral wards in the LGA. These councilors make bye laws for the orderly governance of each of the Local Government Areas. There are 305 electoral wards and 647 Autonomous Com- munities in Imo State (2019). Each of the autonomous com- munity has a Traditional Ruler called His Royal Highness (Eze) and Town Union Executive. Both the Traditional Ruler and Town Union Executive help the Police to maintain law and order. They also dictate the direction of development in the communities. 2.1.2 Geographic Landscape of Imo State. Imo State lies within latitude 4045IN and 7015IN, and lon- gitude 6050IE and 7025IE and covers an area roughly 5,289.49 square kilometers. It is bordered by Abia State on the East, by the River Niger and Delta State on the west, by Anambra State to the north and Rivers State to the south. The map of Imo State sho- wing the Local Government areas is shown on FIG 1 2.1.3 Climate and Vegetation The climate of Imo State is most often associated with the Tropical Rainforest region of Nigeria. There are two climatic seasons witnessed in Imo State. These are; the rainy sea- son and the dry season. The rainy season starts in March and lasts towards the end of October, while the dry season could last from the month of October to March. The month- ly periods may vary in some years. During the rainy season, there is high rainfall of about 2,500mm annually. In some areas like Orlu the average monthly rainfall of 217.84mm (2012) has been recorded (Imo Statistical Year Book, 2013). The dry season is associated with spells of high temperatu- res of which about 38°C has been recorded. However, bet- ween January and February temperatures may drop below 25°C during the cold period of harmattan. This seasonal climate of high temperatures and heavy rainfall has impli- cations for water supply. The demand for water by house- hold is expected to be highest during the hot dry seasons while heavy rainfall support rain water harvest as a source of drinking water as well as recharge perennial streams and underground aquifers. 2.1.3.1 Vegetation Imo State vegetation is tropical rainforest type. This vegeta- WASH Policy 2019 25 tion belt is widely spread in Nigeria and Africa. In the North of the State, tall elephant grasses grow with short trees, while forest trees are common especially the palm trees and thick gallery forests are found along river banks. 2.1.4 Geology, Hydrology and Hydro-geology of Water Resources of Imo State The major drainage landscape feature in the area is the Imo- River, supported by some others like Orashi River, Otamiri River, Iyi Mbaa River, Nwaorie River, Aham and Njaba Ri- vers, Abadaba and Oguta Lakes. Some of these rivers, streams and lakes have potentials for development while some have been developed for provision of potable water to communities in the State. Development of surface water for domestic and industrial purpose requires huge sum of money for planning and execution. The geology consists mainly of the Deltaic plain and coastal plain sands, Bende Amaki formations and Awo-omamma clay formations. The hydrogeology of Imo State is highly prolific especially within the Plain Sand formations as well as fractured shales and limestones Imo State receives a very high rainfall of about 2500mm per annum. This occurs within eight month of the year and ensures the sustenance of perennial streams and rivers that pass through the State including effective recharge of groundwater aquifers. The depth of the boreholes varies from the north to the south of the State. There are deep boreholes in the north and shallow boreholes in the south. This is because of dif- ferences in hydrogeology which cause variation in underg- round water level. That is why there are hand pump boreho- les in some parts in the South {Owerri West, Ohaji/Egbema LGAs} while there are none in the western and northern part of the State {Orlu and Okigwe). FIGURE 2: Hydrogeological Map of Imo State. OHAJI/EGBEMA OGUTA NGOR-OKPALA OWERRI NORTH OWERRI WEST MBAITOLI ABOH- MBAISE EZINIHITTEGWERRI MUNICIPAL IKEDURU ISIALA MBAND ORU WEST ORU EAST NJABA ORSU ORLU IDEATO NORTH OKIGWE EHIME- MBANO OBOWO IDEATO SOUTH ONUIMO OBOWOAHIAZU- MBAISE FIGURE 1: Political Map of Imo State Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 26 2.1.5.Socio-Economic Status The State is rich in natural resources including crude oil, na- tural gas etc economically exploitable flora like the iroko, mahogany, obeche, bamboo, rubber tree and oil palm tree dominate. However, high population density and over far- ming has degraded the soil density and much of the native vegetation has disappeared. This deforestation has trigge- red soil erosion which is compounded by heavy seasonal rainfall that has led to the destruction of houses and roads. Industries established in the State have suffered great set back. Examples of such industries are Imo Concord Ho- tel, Imo Modern Poultry Avutu, Standard Shoe industry Ltd. Owerri, Adapalm Nig. Ltd Ohaji and Imo Rubber Estate, some of which have been privatized. These under-perfor- ming industries present an opportunity for Public-Private Partnerships to realize their full potentials. It is only the privately-owned industries in the State that are growing but do not have adequate capacity to employ, hen- ce the teaming unemployed labour in the State. However, they have helped in their little ways in reducing unemploy- ment. Prominent among such privately owned companies include Hospitality Industries and filling stations. Others are Nigeria Bottling Co. Plc, Aluminum extrusion industries, Ni- gerian Breweries Plc, Jacob Wines Ltd etc. The number of registered Hotels in 2019 only was 512 while Restaurants were 717 totaling 1229 as shown on Table 1. (2019 Office of the Statistician- General). Year Number of Hotels Number of Restaurants Total 2008 40 72 112 2009 65 102 167 2010 101 150 251 2011 118 180 298 2012 188 213 401 TOTAL 512 717 1229 TABLE 5: The Number of Registered Hotels and Restaurants In Imo State, 2019 Source: Office of Statistician-General, Owerri (2019). NAME OF LGA 1991 Population 2006 Population 2015 Population 2020 Population 2025 Population 2030 Population ABOH MBAISE 115,360 194,779 259,056 302,731 368,393 414,815 AHIAZU MBAISE 96,170 170,824 227,196 265,500 323,086 363,799 EHIME MBANO 97,145 130,575 173,665 202,944 246,962 278,082 EZINIHITTE MBAISE 92,462 168,767 224,460 262,303 319,196 359,418 IDEATO NORTH 118,519 156,161 207,694 242,710 295,354 332,571 IDEATO SOUTH 79,236 158,654 211,010 246,585 300,069 337,881 IHITTE/UBOMA 69,009 119,419 158,827 185,605 225,862 254,323 IKEDURU 108,367 149,737 199,150 232,726 283,204 318,890 ISIALA MBANO 106,170 197,521 262,703 306,993 373,579 420,655 ISU 62,139 164,328 218,556 255,404 310,800 349,964 MBAITOLI 148,531 237,474 315,840 369,089 449,144 505,741 NGOR OKPALA 135,711 157,858 209,951 245,348 298,563 336,185 NJABA 81,517 143,485 190,835 223,009 271,379 305,576 NKWERRE 47,190 80,270 106,759 124,758 151,818 170,949 NWANGELE 78,840 127,691 169,829 198,461 241,507 271,940 OBOWO 64,277 117,432 156,185 182,516 222,104 250,091 WASH Policy 2019 27 Men: 1,976,471 Women: 1,949,692 NAME OF LGA 1991 Population 2006 Population 2015 Population 2020 Population 2025 Population 2030 Population OGUTA 87,415 142,340 189,312 221,229 269,213 303,137 OHAJI/EGBEMA 119,116 182,891 243,245 284,255 345,909 389,498 OKIGWE 79,229 132,701 176,492 206,248 250,983 282,609 ONUIMO 54,470 99,368 132,159 154,441 187,939 211,621 ORLU 117,343 142,792 189,913 221,932 270,068 304,100 ORSU 87,172 120,224 159,898 186,856 227,385 256,037 ORU-EAST 84,172 111,743 148,618 173,674 211,344 237,976 ORU-WEST 81,719 115,704 153,886 179,831 218,836 246,411 OWERRI MUNICIPAL 51,223 125,337 166,698 194,803 237,055 266,926 OWERRI NORTH 98,507 176,334 234,524 274,064 333,508 375,533 OWERRI WEST 78,948 101,754 135,333 158,149 192,451 216,702 TOTAL 2,439,957 3,926,163 5,221,794 6,102,164 7,425,711 8,361,430 TABLE 6: List Of LGAs In Imo State and their Population Figures Projected from 2006 Census Figure. 2.1.6 Demography in Imo State In 1991, the National Census population for Imo State was 2,485,935. By the last 2006 National Population Census of Nigeria the population of Imo State had increased to 3,926,163 out of which 1,976,471 were males and 1,949,692 were females. The demographic distribution of Imo per LGA is shown on Table 5. The population figures for 1991 and 2006 are National census figures while the figures for 2015 to 2030 are projec- tions using 3.2% annual growth rate. The Table shows that in 2015, there were about 5,221,794 persons in Imo State both male and female while in 2020 there will be about 6,102,164 and in 2030 about 8,361,439 persons in the State. All these would require safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene services. 2.1.7 Urbanization As defined by the National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2000, urban centers are settlements with population of 20,000 and above while Small Towns (Sub-Urban area) are settlements with population of 5,000 but below 20,000. Rural centers are settlements with population below 5,000 In terms of the population spatial distribution and settle- ment, there is a growing number of urban and small towns in Imo State. The number of people living in centers with population above 5,000 has been on the increase, growing from about 21% in 1991 to about 27% in 2010 as shown below on Table 3 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 28 Table 8 below shows the disaggregated population of Imo State in 2015 for each LGA based on the defined population of urban centers in accordance with the 2000 National Water and Sanitation Policy. Imo State has 34 Urban Centers with population above 20,000. These include Owerri, Orlu, Okigwe, Oguta, Orji, Emekuku, Umuguma, Uratta, Nekede, Ihiagwa, Eke-Nguru, Nkwerre, Urualla, Mgbidi, Enyiogugu etc. The population of these urban centers will grow over time and will require provision for safe water supply and improved sanitation. S/N LGA NO. URBAN (%) NO.SMALLTOWN (%) RURAL (%) TOTAL 1 ABOH MBAISE (6) 188,341 73 (2) 29,926 12 40,789 15 259,056 2 AHIAZU MBAISE (0) 0 - (10) 129,078 57 98,118 43 227,196 3 EHIME MBANO (3) 77,824 45 (5) 56,236 32 39,605 23 173,665 4 EZINIHITTE MBAISE (1) 34,463 15 (12) 136,115 61 53,882 24 224,460 5 IDEATO NORTH (2) 84,208 41 (5) 50,740 24 72,746 35 207,694 6 IDEATO SOUTH (1) 20,527 10 (7) 64,043 30 126,440 60 211,010 7 IHITTE/UBOMA (0) 0 - (5) 34,501 22 124,326 78 158,827 8 IKEDURU (2) 45,723 23 (7) 72,982 37 80,445 40 199,150 9 ISIALA MBANO (0) 0 - (3) 24,181 9 238,522 91 262,703 10 ISU (0) 0 - (15) 137,213 63 81,343 37 218,556 11 MBAITOLI (1) 61,846 20 (19) 188,434 60 65,560 20 315,840 13 NJABA (0) 0 - (8) 64,337 34 126,498 66 190,835 14 NKWERRE (1) 33,421 31 (4) 39,449 37 33,889 32 106,759 15 NWANGELE (2) 46,549 27 (2) 32,909 20 90,371 53 169,829 16 OBOWO (0) 0 - (7) 48,948 31 107,237 69 156,185 17 OGUTA (2) 56,924 30 (7) 71,742 38 60,646 32 189,312 18 OHAJI/EGBEMA (3) 99,560 41 (7) 104,771 43 38,914 16 243,245 19 OKIGWE (1) 43,556 25 (6) 45,341 26 87,595 49 176,492 20 ONUIMO (0) 0 - (6) 59,031 45 73,128 55 132,159 21 ORLU (1) 108,473 57 (7) 60,876 32 20,564 11 189,913 22 ORSU (0) 0 - (8) 47,943 30 111,955 70 159,898 SETTLEMENT TYPE YEAR 1991 Population % 2006 Population % 2010 Population % RURAL 1,974. 279 79.4 2,953, 348 75.2 3,251, 819 73.3 URBAN 511, 656 20.6 972, 815 24. 8 1,186, 327 26.7 TOTAL 2,485, 935 100 3,926, 163 100 4, 438, 146 100 TABLE 7: Imo State Urban Population Growth 1991 - 2010 Note; 2010 population was projected WASH Policy 2019 29 TABLE 8: Disaggregated Population of Imo State, 2015 Summary: Type of Settlement Number of Centers Population Percentage Urban 34 1,319,075 32.62% Small Towns 191 1,858,620 35.59% Rural 2,044,099 39.15% TOTAL 5,221,794 100% NOTE: The population projection was based on 1991 Nigerian Census for LGAs and Communities. S/N LGA NO. URBAN (%) NO.SMALLTOWN (%) RURAL (%) TOTAL 23 ORU-EAST (0) 0 - (7) 67,009 45 81,609 55 148,618 24 ORU-WEST (3) 85,015 55 (3) 24,735 16 44,136 29 153,886 25 OWERRI MUNICIPAL (1) 166,698 100 (0) 0 - 0 - 166,698 26 OWERRI NORTH (3) 132,899 57 (5) 50,462 21 51,163 22 234,524 27 OWERRI WEST (1) 33,048 24 (7) 59,646 44 42,639 32 135,333 TOTAL (34) 1,319,0 75 (191) 1,858,620 2,044,099 5,221,794 » Effective hand washing with soap and water in schools Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 30 WASH Policy 2019 31 3.0 Water and Sanitation Situation in Imo State 3.1 Water Supply and Sanitation Situation in Imo State. Since the creation of Imo State, successive governments have made great efforts to provide safe water to the people of the State. During the first civilian administration, an ambitious program was pursued to improve water supply. In 1982, Imo State designated 34 growth points and 15 LG Headquarters as Urban centers and Growth Poles. Four regional Water Zones were created as follows: The then administration also set up the Imo State Public Utility Board under edict No.13 of 1983 to manage the Public Water Works and Services. The then Public Water Supply efforts in the old Imo State was matched with introductory efforts on improved sanitation largely due to the intervention of the Federal Government and UNICEF arising from the outbreak of cholera at Ohaozara Owerri Regional Water Scheme with Owerri Urban Water Supply and other satellite borehole base water scheme. The installed capacity of the Otamiri Water Headworks was about 60,000 m3/day Okigwe Regional Water Scheme with surface intake from the Imo River with a capacity of 40,000m3/day Orlu Regional Water Scheme with a battery of boreholes at Owerre Ebeiri, Eluama Orlu, Osina, Urualla and Nkwerre all with output capacity of about 20,000 m3/day Obowo/Mbaise Regional Water Scheme consisting of boreholes at Eke Nguru, Enyiogugu, Ezeagbogu, Achingali, Avutu, Umuihi and other areas. Imo/Umuahia Regional Water Scheme – with intake at Umungwa Obowo but treatment and service delivery in Umuahia (Abia State). Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 32 Community (now in Ebonyi State) in 1981. Other key events on Public Water Supply and Sanitati- on efforts from 1990 include; • Rehabilitation of broken-down water schemes • Procurement of Water drilling equipments and pipes with funding from EXIM BANK • Strengthening of WASH sector institution; • SWC was setup by edict No.35 of 1995 • IWADA was setup by edict No.7 of 1997 • RUWASSA was setup by Law No.4 of 2003 • Water Tariff law No.5 of 1993 • Imo State Planning Authorities Building Regula- tion Law No.8 of 2002 (including improved water supply and sanitation facilities provision) • Public Notice of Upward Review of Revenue Sour- ces of Water connection fees and Water Rate - Exco conclusion IMEXCO/S.23/109 of 11th June 2009 • The Ministry of Public Utilities and Public Safety was established in 2014 and charged with the re- sponsibilities of rehabilitating and restoring water supply in the three zones of the State as well as oversight of its own departments and all Agencies in the water sector. 3.2 Water Supply Previous administrations in the State have consistently planned and implemented water supply and sanitation pro- jects since the creation of the State in 1976, but with mi- nimal success because of the absence of an appropriate comprehensive Policy instrument to provide focus and di- rection for the planning and implementation of water supply and sanitation programs in the State. Despite the enormous Public sector investment and institutional development in WASH sector of Imo State, access to safe water and impro- ved sanitation did not show any remarkable improvement. Several MDAs at Federal, State and LGA levels are invol- ved in delivery of water supply services in Imo State. These include Federal Ministry of Water Resources and its Agen- cies, namely the AIRBDA; MPUPS, ISWC, IWADA, RUWAS- SA at the State level and WASH Units at the LGA level. Other related MDAs at both Federal and State levels that are in- volved in water also include Ministries of Education, Health, Agriculture, Environment and CSOs. Donor Agencies such as EU, UNICEF, World Bank etc are also intervening in the water sector in the State. 3.2.1 Urban Water Supply and Small-Towns Water Supply The Agency responsible for Urban/Small Town water supply in the State is the Imo State Water Corporation (established by Edict 35, 1995). Out of the 127 water schemes operated and managed by ISWC, about 93% are not functional. All the water schemes have varying degrees of constraints that includes poor maintenance, unreliable power supply and dilapidated equipment among many others. This Agency is largely funded through the State Government budgetary allocation and a low internally generated fund. The revenue generated by the Agency is rarely able to cover its opera- tional expenses, mainly due to low tariffs, poor billing and revenue collection mechanisms. IWADA drill boreholes and construct overhead tanks in both urban, small town and ru- ral communities as may be assigned by the Government. 3.2.2 Rural Water Supply The Agency responsible for water supply to rural commu- nities having a population below 5,000 in Imo State is the Rural Water Supply and Environmental Agency (RUWESA) This Agency was created by (Law No 4 of 2003). All the wa- ter supply schemes in the rural communities are borehole schemes. At inception, RUWESSA began with the cons- truction of hand pump water schemes in rural communi- ties in Imo State while IWADA was constructing boreholes in those Rural Communities, and later both progressed to the construction of motorized and solar powered borehole schemes. According to 2015 baseline survey, only two hundred and fifty three (253) motorized borehole schemes out of the three hundred and eleven motorized borehole Schemes (311) managed by RUWESA across the State are functional. Several other stakeholders are also involved in the rural wa- ter service deliveries in the state but lack of good data base in the sector has made it practically difficult to be captured and documented. RUWESA also collaborate with the WASH unit of LGAs, re- lated MDAs, NGOs, CSOs / CBOs, EU-UNICEF, EU-MPP6 and other external support Agencies in the delivery of water services to rural communities in Imo State. There are also a lot of water provisions made by individuals in the commu- nities through private boreholes, protected and non-protec- ted wells for domestic consumption. WASH Policy 2019 33 3.3 Sanitation Liquid waste in Imo state is purely being managed by ungui- ded private sector, while solid waste management is solely the responsibility of ENTRACO an Agency in the Ministry of Environment. The Imo State Water Corporation is expected to anchor liquid waste management in the Urban areas of the state according to the provisions of the Edict 35 of 1995 that es- tablished the corporation. In the recent past, some MDAs in the sector in the State met severally under the aegis of the STGS to carry out some sanitation activities and report to NTGS. STGS was then coordinated by RUWESA. 3.3.1 Urban Sanitation Sanitation in this context talks about both liquid and solid waste. The Departments of Sanitation and Waste Manage- ment in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources have some form of involvement in urban sanitation (Solid waste management using ENTRACO). ENTRACO is the implementing Agency responsible for solid waste manage- ment in urban areas while Ministry of Environment and Na- tural Resources has the responsibility of ensuring that the environment is pollution free, enforcement of environmental standards and regulations, reduction of human activities that negatively impact on the environment including polluti- on through industrial effluents and air quality. Both ENTRA- CO and Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources are backed up by their respective law and Government Policy. Currently in Imo State, ISWC is the Agency assigned by Law to manage Liquid Waste but the agency has not effectively implemented this role. 3.3.2 Small Town and Rural Sanitation In Urban and small towns, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources still construct sanitation facilities in pu- blic places in rural communities. RUWASSA collaborates with the WASH unit of LGA, relevant MDAs, NGOs, CSOs / CBOs, UNICEF and other external support agencies in the delivery of Sanitation services to rural communities and also on sanitation and hygiene promotion in primary and secondary schools in Imo State. UNICEF and RUWASSA apply the CLTS facilitating appro- ach to ensure that open defecation free status is attained in rural communities in the state. The type of sanitation fa- cilities vary in standards and types across the rural com- munities in the state. The construction and management of household sanitation facilities are mainly financed by Indivi- dual funding arrangements. 3.4 Issues Arising The broad nature and connotations of the term “Sanitation” is increasingly becoming a challenging issue in the sector as both Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ministry of Health and ISWC are yet to understand whose role it is for management of sanitation in the Urban Areas. Understandably, there are two major aspects of sanitation, namely water sanitation and environmental sanitation. Tri- tely, appropriate applications of these connotations will cer- tainly reduce the confusion in the sector. Ministry of Water Resources and its implementing agencies deal only in the aspect of water (Liquid) sanitation while Ministry of Environ- ment and Natural Resources and its implementing agencies deal with environmental sanitation. With this understanding, this policy therefore shall promote synergy and cooperation amongst these MDAs in moving the sector forward in their common grey areas. Other overarching issues on Sanitation in the State in- clude: • Absence of clearly stated responsibility for sanitation at any level in Imo State except little mention of ‘’setting standard relative to water supply or sewerage dispo- sal’’ by ISWC in the Edict No. 35 of 1995. • Existing overlap in the responsibility of both RUWESA, IWADA and the department of sanitation and waste water management in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for the delivery of water sanitation facilities in rural areas. Ministry of Environment and Na- tural Resources only deals with delivery of sanitation facilities in public institutions in rural and urban areas and not in households. Also there is currently no exis- ting law backing the activities of both of them. • Fragmented control over WASH MDAs by different Go- vernmental Bodies such as office of the SGI supervi- sing the RUWESA. • ISWC is currently not involved with the development and management of sewerage systems (including was- tewater disposal, human waste disposal, storm water drainage and treatment of wastewater) in the entire state. • Inadequate sanitation infrastructure and facilities. • No urban community has a sewerage system in Imo state. • Poor data management in handling sanitation matter Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 34 in the State • High incidence of open defecation in the rural commu- nities According to the 2018 multiple indicator cluster survey (MICS), over 80% of households included in the survey in Imo State have improved water sources distributed as fol- lows: piped water into dwelling (0.3%) ; piped water into yard/plot (0.0%); piped water into neighbors dwelling (0.3%); piped water through public tap/standard pipe (6.1%); tu- be-well/borehole (72.9%); protected well (1.1%); protected spring(0.3%); rain water collection (4.8%); as well as bottled water(0.2%). The concern from the survey even with the re- lative high level of usage of improved water sources is the fact that over 80% of such households are without drinking water in their premises. Similarly, in terms of sanitation, MICS (2018) puts Imo State access to improved sanitation facilities at over 70% distri- buted as follows: pour flush piped sewer system (18.1%); septic tank (24.1%); pit latrine (6.0%) ventilated improved pit latrine (0.4%); as well as pit latrine with slab (24.6%). Users of improved sanitation facilities not shared stood at 11.3% while about 13.3% households are still using open defeca- tion. In terms of improved public WASH facilities, the 2015 Base- line survey shows that there are 1305 public water points, 142 public water supply facilities and 1039 public sanitation units in the State. The functionality of the facilities is low as only 45% of all the water facilities are functional and 55% not functional. However, 87% of sanitation units were func- tional. Previous output of safe water is 41,739m3/day, while the installed capacity is 303,251m3/day giving a capacity utilization of about 14%. Njaba LGA has the least water out- put of 65m3/day previously, while Owerri Urban LGA has the highest water output of 4,000 m3/day. Currently water output for Egbeada water scheme from Jan-Mar 2019 is 3,197.72m3, while Orlu Water scheme production for Jan to feb 2019 is 2,447.003m3 Orji water scheme production for Feb-Mar 2019 is 679.41m3 giving a total of 6,324.13m3 In terms of promoters of public WASH facilities, the 2015 Baseline survey shows that the Federal Government is the highest promoter of public water facilities in Imo State with about 32% of the water infrastructure, while the State Go- vernment accounts for 23% and Donor Agencies promote about 17%. » Hand pump serving 250 persons in schools WASH Policy 2019 35 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 36 4.0 Policy Rationale 4.1. Need for Policy 4.1.1 The Need for Integrated and Sustainable Wa- ter Resource Management Water is Life. It is an essential part of ecological system and important to the vital environment for sustaining all forms of life. It is a basic need for living species especially humans, thus must be managed in the most optimal manner so that consumption and development needs are met. As a scarce and valuable resource, its usage must be planned along with conservation and management mea- sures, on an integrated and environmentally sound basis, keeping in view the socio-economic needs of the State. In the 21st century, efforts to develop, conserve, utilize and manage this important resource in a sustainable manner must be guided by the State authorities. Moreover, Water, as a resource is one and indivisible: rain- fall, river waters, surface ponds and lakes and ground water are all part of one system. Planning and implementation of water related projects has many socio-economic aspects and issues such as environmental sustainability, resettle- ment and rehabilitation of project-affected people and lives- tock, public health concerns of water impoundment, dam safety etc. Clear guidelines are necessary in these matters. 4.1.2 Need for an Independent Water Supply, Sani- tation and Hygiene (WASH)Regulatory Agency There is a necessity to set up an independent Regulatory body that will serve as an umpire between Water Service Providers, consumers and government especially in the area of setting standards, approving tariffs, and resolving issues. 4.1.3. Need to fulfill some of the conditions and imple- ment the program objectives of the USAID (E-WASH) Program. Imo State is one of the selected states participating in the USAID E-WASH program. The grant support program from the USAID is an Urban WASH reform which promotes manage- ment autonomy for State Water Corporation. The program also promotes corporatization, Public Private sector Partnership (PPP) in WASH service delivery, commercialization of water utility, increased citizens’ involvements in sector planning and the establishment of an independent Regulator for WASH. This Policy is expected to address these reform objectives. 4.1.4. The Need for Innovative Planning, Effective and Efficient Allocation among Users Increase in Population and economic activities of a State inevi- tably leads to increasing demand for water for diverse purpo- ses: domestic, commercial and industrial, irrigation, hydro-po- wer generation, recreation, etc. So far, the major use of water in the State has been for domestic, livestock, business, industrial and irrigation purposes. Water demand for industrial use has so far largely been concentrated in and around the urban areas or towns. Domestic and industrial demand for water will doubtlessly in- crease abruptly as the ongoing WASH Sector reform and de- velopment programs improve economic conditions and more industries come up there. This underscores the need for the ut- most efficiency in water utilization and public awareness of the importance of conservation and maintenance of water quality 4.1.5. Need to change the name of the Supervising Ministry to reflect its functional scope, clearly defi- ne the role of the Supervising Ministry, and WASH WASH Policy 2019 37 sector Agencies- for Urban, Small Towns and Rural areas; The supervising Ministry at the Federal level adopts the name ‘Water Resources’, and thus states are expected to be decen- tralized for same role with the same nomenclature. This will give the state Ministries direct linkages to its Federal body for developments and programs. This Policy will define the name of the parent Ministry for WASH service provision in Imo State. The role of service providers for Urban, Small Town and Rural communities shall also be defined according to MDAs by this Policy to avert roles/functions overlap 4.1.6. Need to set up a Coordinating Inter-ministerial, Departments and Agencies Stakeholders Steering Committee. There is need to set up a coordinating inter-ministerial stake- holders committee, strengthen all State Agencies directly in- volved in service provision, while independent institution provi- des regulatory role for the sector. Water supply and sanitation projects and programs are pre- sently implemented by many organizations and agencies with insufficient coordination. There are conflicting roles which limit routine operational decision-making processes and by impli- cation, undermine the benefits that investment would provide. A water sector steering committee shall be set up which shall meet quarterly and on demand to deliberate and gather infor- mation on activities within the WASH sector in the State with a view to harmonization of same. 4.1.7 The Need to Protect Water Sources, Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Water quality is adversely affected by untreated or inadequa- tely treated industrial run-off and sewerage flowing into rivers or affecting the surface and ground water, sand mining acti- vities, dumping of refuse in rivers and water sources etc. Sin- ce this can harmfully affect the health of the populace, spe- cial attention must be given to the following: Improvements in existing strategies, innovation of techniques that rest on a strong science and technology base are needed to eliminate the pollution of surface and ground water resources, to restore the primeval quality of water in accordance with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality Standards (NSDWQ) and the proposed legislative framework in the State. 4.1.8. Need to create strategies for Human Resour- ces Development in the WASH sector. Human capital is crucial for driving any reform process particu- larly for the WASH sector. The Policy will promote the need to develop the skills and competences of all the Agencies and other service providers in the sector by incorporating structu- red capacity building programs relevant for all staff to impro- ve service delivery and reliability in the sector. 4.1.9. The Need for Equitable Distribution of Water Resources Multifaceted issues of Gender, Equity and social Inclusion (GESI) with regards to water usage, and distribution must be addressed systematically in this Policy, thereby leaving no one behind. 4.1.10. Need to define the Agencies that should be responsible for WASH services provision in Urban, Small Towns, and Rural areas; Presently, Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation is re- sponsible for WASH supply in both urban and small-town communities, while RUWESA and IWADA are doing same role of service provision in rural areas. This Policy will defi- ne the roles and functions of WASH MDAs, while introducing a Small-Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency for Imo State (STOWA) 4.1.11. Need to set up Government Policy on cost reflective tariff, cost recovery, subsidies etc The Policy should address issues relating to how tariffs should be determined and put all conditions for the State Water and Sewerage Corporation to operate on commercial principle, while defining the cost that should be recovered. 4.1.12. Need to set out the mechanism for financing Water Infrastructure The State Urban and Rural Water Agencies like in most other States are underfunded. This Policy is expected to identify means of generating adequate funds to meet the operations, maintenance and capital needs of the WASH Agencies. 4.1.13. Need to encourage and define the role and level of involvement of Private Sector in WASH ser- vice delivery This Policy shall address private sector participation in WASH sector in order to give the private sector comfort for their en- visaged roles for total service coverage as the public sector has in the past dominated WASH service delivery. 4.1.14. Need to introduce WASH Customer Forum (WCF) and set out the roles of all other Stakehol- ders; Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 38 There is need to involve the WASH customers in the plan- ning and implementation of WASH related activities and functions. The WCF is intended to bridge the gap that has existed over the years between service providers and customers. The role of NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, WCAs, WASH- COMs, Communities, External Support Agencies, and Cha- rities will also be defined in the Policy. Water being everyo- ne’s business, all stakeholders should be brought on board with clearly defined roles and mandates. 4.1.16. Need to adopt the proposed Water Invest- ment and Mobilization Guidelines (WIMAG) The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) is developing a Policy for decentralizing to the States more responsibilities and finances for the implementation of WASH sectoral pro- jects. This Policy is to be known as the Water Investment and Mobilization Guidelines (WIMAG) and will require Sta- tes to adopt their legal framework in order to participate and benefit from its implementation. ln summary, the objectives of WIMAG are to increase water service coverage, service level improvement, reduction of unit cost of providing wa- ter while improving water quality and ensuring price equity. The financial performance of existing water facilities will be positively affected to make room for cost recovery and im- proved efficiency of capital investments. This WASH Policy needs to proactively adopt the guidelines that will ensure that Imo State participates and benefits from this FGN novelty.The legislature (State House of Assembly) will play a key role here to usher in the delivery of better water supply services in the State through their support for reform legislation. 4.1.18. Need to define Agency that should be re- sponsible for Sanitation services in Urban, Small Towns, and Rural areas; Presently in Imo State, ENTRACO; a parastatal of the Minis- try of Environment and Natural Resources oversees solid waste management in Urban and Small towns. The sanita- tion division of the Local Government oversees rural areas. These agencies need to be empowered to function effi- ciently and effectively. The Urban sanitation is overtly ma- naged by the private sector without regulation. This Policy will streamline this role to be the function of the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation. 4.1.19. Need to set out the Cost sharing arrange- ments for Capital, Operation and Maintenance in Water and Sanitation service delivery in Urban, Small Towns and Rural areas The State has adopted the cost sharing arrangement stated in the National Policy, but this must be reviewed to determine its suitability and applicability in Imo State context. 4.2. Key Sanitation Policy Issues 4.2.1. Poor Awareness There is little awareness about the inherent linkages of sanitation with public health. 4.2.2. Social and Occupational aspects of Sanitation The occupational hazard faced by sanitation workers daily. 4.2.3. Clearly Defined Institutional Roles and Respon- sibilities Overlaps in institutional roles and responsibilities at State and local government levels as well as communities should be iden- tified and resolved. 4.2.3. An Integrated Holistic Approach Sanitation investment needs to be planned in a manner that will consider the full cycle of safe confinement, treatment and safe disposal. 4.2.4. Technology Choices Technologies need to be focused on options that are sustainab- ly cost-effective. Sustainability of technology has over the years been an issue. 4.2.5. Reaching the Un-served and Poor Urban poor communities as well as other residents of informal settlements have been constrained by economic limitations or lack of space, in obtaining affordable access to safe sanitation. In this context, is the issue of whether services to the poor should be individualized? or if community services should be provided in slums? The Policy should address these questions. However, provision of individual toilets should be prioritized. In relation to “Pay and Use” toilets, the issue of subsidies inadver- tently reaching the non-poor should be addressed by identifying different categories of urban poor. 4.2.6. Demand Responsiveness Sanitation has been provided by public agencies in a supply-dri- ven manner, with little regard for demands and preferences of communities as customers of sanitation service. WASH Policy 2019 39 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 40 5.0 Fundamental Guiding Principle for the Policy Policy Statements are usually based on a set of fundamen- tal principles and guiding philosophies which are accepted by Government. In order to derive maximum benefit from the Federal Government and External Support Agencies, the Policy Statement should be in line with the current thin- king and direction of the Federal government of Nigeria to- gether with current trends in the water sector, as well as in other relevant sectors in other States and other developing countries. These must be designed to improve service deli- very and should include fundamental principles agreed with stakeholders during the development of the Policy conside- red appropriate to the peculiarities of Imo State. 5.1. Water Supply General Principles and Guiding Philosophies The underlying principles of the Policy are; a. Water is a limited and vulnerable resource, thus requi- ring an integrated approach to its management. b. Safe and affordable water supply shall be the basic right of every citizen of Imo State. c. Water is both a social and an economic good and the- refore requires the adoption of efficient utilization me- chanisms as well as ensuring that it is equitably distri- buted. d. Water service delivery should be “bottom-up” and “de- mand-driven” as opposed to the current “top down” and “supply driven”. e. Women play a central role in the provision, manage- ment and safeguarding of water, which should be re- flected in effective participation at all levels. f. Water development and management should be based on participatory approach involving users, planners, and Policy makers at all levels. g. Attention must be paid to effective and efficient opera- tion and maintenance of water facilities. h. Emphasis should be placed on Policy development and review, institutional reform, capacity building, and creati- on of an enabling legal environment. i. Water and Natural resources must be managed at the lowest appropriate levels. j. All citizens of Imo State shall contribute to the management of their water supply systems in a sustainable way through payment of water rate or some other forms of community contribution. k. A larger proportion of the people of Imo State is going th- rough a difficult time of poor water supply and is not happy with the situation. l. Imo State Government views the situation as very critical and considers water supply and sanitation as one of its main pri- ority issues. m. The current urban WASH sector reform in the State will likely attract more donor agencies to the sector. n. There is the need for creating a streamlined institutional fra- mework that will improve sector coordination and maximize the benefits of investment. o. Under the current sector reforms, there have been various projects and activities to address the critical situation in the Water Sector, hence the need to harmonize support from de- velopment partners in a coordinated way to maximize pos- sible synergies in the future and avoid duplication of effort and wastage. p. The Imo State Ministry of Water Resources should be at the helm of such coordination in a structured manner and shall be accountable to the stakeholders review mechanism/Com- mittee. q. Customers are willing to pay for water if a reliable level of ser- vice is provided (this is demonstrated by the fact that many customers purchase their water from private vendors) r. Government should gradually disengage from funding the operation and maintenance of water systems as a social ser- vice to enable it concentrate on Water Sector capital develop- ment projects. WASH Policy 2019 41 s. Government should continue to support Water Service Pro- viders (WSPs) in capital maintenance and rehabilitation until such a time as the providers are able to do so within their internally generated revenues. t. Water Quality surveillance will be introduced through the establishment of a Drinking Water Quality Standard monito- ring mechanism in accordance with the National standards together with a surveillance system for its implementation. u. Tariffs must be based upon a definite determination mecha- nism which allows for adjustments in the face of prevailing realities but along justifiable parameters as well as incenti- ves for efficiency. v. Accountability, reliability, financial sustainability and fiscal responsibility must permeate all service provision in the sector. w. The inculcation of Occupational Health and Safety princi- ples in all areas of operation and administration in line with Federal Laws and State directive principles for all activities in the sector. 5.2.2. Urban Water Supply Principles a. Water supply in urban areas is a commercial undertaking and shall be efficiently managed as a business. b. Water supply to the poor should be guaranteed through carefully designed arrangements particularly in the design of tariff setting methodologies and principles as well as by subsidy Policies relating to government support that are lin- ked clearly with achievable set indicators. c. All urban water supply systems must work on cost recovery principles while ensuring effective, efficient, and sustainable service delivery. d. Autonomy of water providers shall be guaranteed. e. Clear Sector governance shall be established through appropriate Regulatory reforms that will separate service provision, Policy and regulation and encourage private in- vestment. f. Commercial orientation and customer focus must be the bedrock of urban water supply and service provision must reflect this. 5.2.3. Small Towns and Rural Water Supply Principles a. Water supply provision should be demand driven. b. The demand for the WASH service provision should emana- te from the Water Consumers Association or WASHcoms in the Rural areas. c. The provision of water supply needs should be commu- nity based, with the communities in the driving seat from the project inception up to the management of completed schemes. d. Communities need to be mobilized, trained and motivated to actively participate in developing their water and sanita- tion facilities and to eventually own the systems. e. Water supply infrastructure development needs to involve cost sharing arrangement between the State, the Local Government Areas and the communities in a coordinated and effective manner. f. The National Water Policy provides for the Federal Gover- nment contribution to capital projects, this shall be taken into account as appropriate. 5.2.4. Sanitation Principles and Philosophy a. An integrated approach for good sanitation, effective hy- giene practices and potable water services are needed to promote good health and quality of life of all people in Imo State. b. The improvement of health and quality of life is an import- ant aspect of good governance. c. Poor sanitation negates any positive gain made through improved supply of potable water. d. Contaminated water and unsanitary conditions are the causes of prevalent water and sanitation related preventa- ble diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, dracun- culiasis (guinea worm), malaria and schistosomiasis. e. Diarrhea and cholera outbreaks are common occurrences in schools and communities. f. Malaria negatively impacts on the social and economic de- velopment of communities in Imo State; it is partly respon- sible for school absenteeism and low productivity at work places and on farms. g. Increased and sustained political will is required at all levels to generate commitment and interest in sanitation activities for improved coverage. h. The disease burden on households especially children as a result of poor hygiene and lack of sanitation facilities has direct impact on women. i. The planning of, investment, and promotion of sanitation facilities must therefore address the special needs, inte- rest and priorities of women with due consideration of men and children to ensure adequate access, usage and main- tenance. j. Various options of safe low-cost household excreta dispo- sal will be studied, and low-cost replicable systems will be promoted. k. Hygiene education will be promoted in schools especially through the formation of Environmental Health Clubs. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 42 WASH Policy 2019 43 6.0 Policy Strategies 6.0. Policy Statements and Strategies for Sustainable WASH Service Delivery 6.0.1 State-wide access to improved water supply and sa- nitation services, to meet the level of demand in the sector for effective socio-economic activities. 6.0.2 Integrated Water Resource Management for WASH Governance 6.0.3 Ensure that Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality is maintained by service providers 6.0.4 Public-Private Sector Partnership initiative in WASH service delivery 6.0.5 Learning Alliance/Peer-to-peer Learning 6.0.6 Gender Mainstreaming/Role of Women in WASH Ser- vice Delivery 6.0.7 Leaving no one behind in WASH service delivery: Dis- courage denial of less privileged, physically challenged and the poor access to basic water supply and sanitation ser- vices. 6.0.8 Monitor and Evaluate the performance of the sector for necessary Policy review and improvement of water sup- ply and sanitation 6.0.9 Institutional Framework 6.0.10 Sector Planning 6.0.11 Surface and Ground Water Monitoring 6.0.12 Water Pricing and Tariff setting 6.0.13 Encourage Demand Responsive Approach 6.0.14 Legal and Regulatory Reform of the WASH Sector 6.0.15 Development of Capacity 6.0.16 Research and Technological Development 6.0.17 Sewerage (Waste Water) and Environmental Ma- nagement 6.0.18 Electric Power Supply 6.0.19 Promote Awareness Creation, Education and Training 6.0.20 Water Service Delivery 6.0.21 Development of Water Safety plans (Water Quality Mo- nitoring and surveillance) 6.0.22 Infrastructure funding arrangement 6.0.23 Sanitation Technology 6.0.24 Sanitation Management 6.0.25 Institution of Awards 6.1. Policy Statement 1 – Access to Water and Sanitation Imo State Government shall effectively facilitate equitable ac- cess to safe, sustainable and reliable water supply and ade- quate (basic and improved) sanitation facilities for its citizens in a sustainable and coordinated manner: Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following high-level strategic measures: • Develop a WASH sector Master Plan for the provision of water and sanitation services in the State incorporating water supply feasibility study, demand projection and in- vestment plan for the period up to 2030 in order to achieve universal access. • Undertake water supply and sanitation feasibility survey for the State to acquire baseline data for proper invest- ment planning. • Rehabilitation and modernization of existing water supply works to restore them to their optimum operational capa- city. • Construction of Regional water schemes in the State to support the existing water facilities. • Expansion of existing urban booster water supply works to enhance capacities to meet population growth demand. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 44 • Distribution network repair and renewal for all urban booster water supply schemes. • Comprehensive metering of all water supply sche- mes from abstraction through distribution to customer connections. • Maintenance of customer service standards and codes for all customer property and premises • Financial support from Government for the investments needed to achieve the Policy objectives. • Construction of new water supply schemes to serve the segments of the population that is under served. • Ensure regular and alternate power supply through In- dependent Power Producers (IPP) • Implement institutional, financial and legal reforms in accordance with this Policy • Build capacity in all institutions in the sector in order to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of water management in general and of water and sani- tation service provision in particular • Apply integrated Water Resources Management approach to sustainably utilize and protect the water resources of the State • Promote improvement of traditional sources of com- munity water supply (protected spring orifices, protec- ted hand dug well, rain water harvest, etc.). • Educate and raise awareness of water and sanitation issues • Promote improvement of sanitation (domestic and hu- man waste disposal) facilities especially in the urban and semi-urban areas. • Strengthen the Sanitation Department within the Minis- try of Environment and Natural Resources to be able to effectively discharge the responsibility of overseeing urban solid waste management. • Strengthen and reposition the School of Health Tech- nology and other relevant Health Institutions to be able to provide needed manpower towards achieving 100% sanitation coverage status in the State. • Coordinate a system of planning and feedback, consul- tation and coordination at the State level between all Agencies (such as Environment, Health, Education, Water Resources and Rural Development, Fiscal plan- ning, Physical planning, Housing, etc), and the Local Government departments dealing with sanitation issu- es. • Water and Sanitation Technical Committees shall be established at State and Local Government levels to ensure effective coordination of Policy implementation and oversee the progress in this regard. • Institution of cost sharing arrangements to ensure full participation of communities in planning, development, and monitoring of interventions as part of the process of promoting community ownership, operation and maintenance of the facilities. • Adoption of Community-Led Total Sanitation approach in small towns and rural communities. • Sponsor capital investment for rural water supply. To- ken community contribution shall be to foster a sense of ownership, a necessary ingredient for sustainability. • The rural communities shall take full ownership and maintenance of water supply facilities provided by the Government. • Enhance capacity of the water supply and sanitati- on service providers on management, operation and maintenance • Foreign Direct Investment shall be encouraged to form joint ventures with Nigerian companies to invest in Imo State WASH sector. • Local manufacture of water supply equipment and tre- atment chemicals shall be encouraged. • Support Technology transfer arrangements for the local manufacture of major water supply machinery and equipment (pumps, trunk main and distribution pi- pes, valves and meters) • Support local training institutions specialized in water supply operations. • Provide technical support for capacity building at Sta- te and Local Government levels for the construction of waste disposal facilities. • Encourage rapid manpower development through adequate patronage of existing relevant training in- stitutions such as National Water Resources Institu- te (NWRI), Universities, Polytechnics, Technical and Vocational Colleges and in-house training capabilities of the existing Agencies. • Establish water supply Agencies to operate on com- mercial basis. • Timely release of funds for WASH service providers. • Encourage and fund research, development and stu- dies in the WASH sector • The Government of Imo State shall oversee and coor- dinate all activities in the WASH sector by fostering collaboration with Federal, Local Government Areas, Communities, private sector, donors and external sup- port agencies to expand sustainable water supply and sanitation programs in the State. WASH Policy 2019 45 • Establishing a Water and Sanitation Coordination/ Steering Committee to coordinate all water and sani- tation related issues with all relevant Ministries in ac- cordance with the terms of this Policy. The Committee shall constitute and inaugurate an Inter-Ministerial Sta- te Task Groups to address specific issues including: » Task Group on water supply system sustainability » Task Group on sanitation services » Task Group on Monitoring and evaluation and Re- porting » Task Group on Communication and Public Rela- tions • Ensuring that the water sector coordination committee holds quarterly stakeholders ‘coordination meeting in accordance with the terms of this Policy 6.2. Policy Statement 2 - Integrated Water Resources Management The Government of Imo State will apply Integrated Water Resources Management principles for effective water ma- nagement and conservation in the water sector in the State. Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: • Support and Inaugurate the State-wide WASH Sector Steering Committee in collaboration with Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, Health, Information, Lands, Justice, Planning Commission, Bureau of Statistics and other relevant Ministries to facilitate reforms lea- ding towards sustainable and integrated water resour- ces management. • Liaise with FMWR and other relevant MDAs to develop and implement State-wide water sector strategy that imbibes the principles and best practices of integrated water resources management • Facilitate collaboration with relevant Federal and State MDAs and external support agencies to develop and implement framework for monitoring, controlling and enforcing regulations to address the continued deple- tion and contamination of the State’s water resources • Introduce groundwater abstraction / removal licensing program, to regulate the use of groundwater and avoid over-depletion whereby: » Drilling of boreholes will require prior authorization » All (new and existing) boreholes must be registe- red » Standards for the construction and location of boreholes will be applied » Boreholes for private, commercial and industrial use will be subject to monitoring and control inclu- ding limits on the maximum volume of use • Develop and implement appropriate environmentally sustainable water conservation strategies for the en- tire water resources systems taking cognizance of the impact of exploitation of mineral resources in the State • Ensure optimization and conjunctive utilization of sur- face water and ground water resources within the State with priority being given to the use of uncontaminated groundwater for drinking water supply • Foster collaboration with State Ministries of Environ- ment and Health to ensure the protection of water sources from environmental contamination and pollu- tion essential for long term sustainable water supply provision. • Implement appropriate measures that prevents pollu- tion of water resources, particularly groundwater, such as: » Creation of water resources protection zones in which potentially polluting activities are not per- mitted » Create system of issuing and monitoring permits for the discharges of wastewater from industrial premises » Sensitize the general public in the State against groundwater and surface water over exploitation, pollution and wastages • Implement appropriate measures that encourage con- servation of water resources and reduce waste and excessive water consumption including requirements that water service providers shall: » undertake regular and prompt leakage detection and repairs, » implement consumer metering, » apply tariff measures to encourage efficient use » reduction or eliminate illegal connections in water supply systems. » promote enlightenment campaigns on water con- servation • Establish adequate hydrological and hydrogeological facilities to monitor surface water and ground water re- sources in the State • Liaise with relevant research and training institutions to build capacity of Local Government WASH stakehol- ders for monitoring and management of surface water and ground water pollution and contamination Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 46 • Measures put in place to reduce the blockage and pre- vent damage to surface water (flood) drainage chan- nels, including prevention of dumping of waste into drainage channels 6.3. Policy Statement 3- Drinking Water Quality and Standards Imo State Government commits to ensuring that in imple- menting this Policy, relevant sector standards are applied, including: Quality of Drinking Water: • The quality of water supply in the State shall at a mini- mum be in conformity with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality and any specific drinking water quality by the Ministry of Water Resources. • The Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality co- vers all drinking water except mineral water and packa- ged water in Imo State. The standard applies to: • Drinking water supplied by the ISWSC, Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and RUWASSA • Drinking water supplied by the Community Develop- ment Associations • Drinking water supplied by water vendors and water tankers • Drinking water used in public or privately-owned esta- blishments • Drinking water used in food processing by manufac- turers • Drinking water from privately owned drinking water system and used solely for the family residence • Regular monitoring of supplied water quality shall be undertaken by MWR in collaboration with other rele- vant MDAs and stakeholders in the sector. • Mineral water and packaged water shall comply with Nigerian Industrial Standards for Natural Mineral Water (NIS 345:2003) and Potable Water (NIS 306:2004) for regulation and certification by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) respec- tively. Water service providers shall request for authorization from the bodies listed under the quality of drinking water above or from the Ministry of Health for the use of water for human consump- tion or for food processing. The authorization shall be issued when the following requirements are met: i. Water quality comply with allowable limits ii. Construction requirements and water treatments are met iii. Minimum safe distance is observed around water point • System Design, Construction and Material Standards: All components of water supply systems in the State shall be designed, constructed and operated in accor- dance with the standards, codes and regulations es- tablished by the State Regulatory Body, the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and other relevant regu- latory bodies. • Quality of water supply service standards shall be ap- plied, particularly in urban areas: » Continuity of supply (hours per day) » Adequacy of pressure Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: • Facilitate and support State water regulatory body to collaborate with Standards Organization of Nigeria to develop, issue and enforce relevant regulations, codes and standards to be adopted by all players engaged in the design, construction and operation of water supply systems in the State. • Organize routine campaigns for all stakeholders in the sector to ensure that construction and material stan- dards on safety and best practices are applied in full for safety, sustainability of water infrastructures and health of the customers. • Foster collaboration with State Ministries of Water Re- sources and Health and its respective Agencies to en- sure that drinking water quality in the State follows the NSDWQ standard. • Foster collaboration with relevant Federal and State MDAs to ensure that only certified water laboratories and personnel undertake water quality sampling and testing in the State • Ensure that construction of water and sanitation deli- very systems in the State comply with relevant National Codes of Practice and Standards. • The ISWSC, STOWA and RUWASSA shall compile and forward annual water quality reports to Imo State Mi- nistry of Health surveillance Agency/Department. • Imo State Ministry of Health Surveillance Agency/De- partment shall provide quarterly status report to the different stakeholders at the WASH coordination forum • Water quality results shall be accessible to the general WASH Policy 2019 47 public. • In case of non-compliance, the Imo State WASH Regu- latory Commission surveillance department shall: • Inform the ISWSC or RUWASSA not more than 3 days after the date the sample was collected and 24 hours in case of disease outbreak. • Recommend remedial measures (Action Plans) and set deadlines for the implementation of the measures. • There shall be a State Water Quality Reference Labo- ratory in each of the three Senatorial Districts that shall monitor and protect the quality of raw water sources for drinking and monitor the output of water supply un- dertakings for conformity with drinking water quality standard. • Traditional water supply sources shall be protected, and traditional water quality practices shall be promo- ted. 6.4. Policy Statement 4. Encourage Public-Private-Partnership Initiatives to improve WSS service delivery Private Sector involvement and participation in all aspects of water supply and sanitation infrastructure and service delivery shall be promoted where appropriate to support the efficient and effective provision of services. Strategy: • Imo State Government shall implement the following approach: • Collaborate with relevant MDAs and Development Partners to create enabling environment and frame- work to initiate and establish Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the water and sanitation sector in the State. • Explore internal and external opportunities for enga- ging sustainable PPP arrangement in the operation and management of urban and small-town water and sanitation provisions in the State. • The State Government shall formulate laws to regulate the activities of the private operators in the water sup- ply and wastewater services to guarantee adequate protection of customers as well as fairness to the ser- vice providers. • Collaborate with development partners to develop and implement innovative approaches for private sector in- volvement in water supply and sanitation service deli- very in the State. • Encourage private sector initiatives and innovations to improve water and sanitation services in the State • Encourage Private sector to cooperate with LGAs and relevant MDAs on matters relating to environmental protection. 6.5. Policy Statement 5. Establishment of Learning Alliance/ Peer -to-Peer Learning. Imo State Government shall facilitate adequate opportuni- ties for peer-to-peer learning from best practicing WASH Agencies in the country and around the world Strategy: • Exchange visits between Imo State WSS Agencies and identified well performing WSS Agencies in other Sta- tes, and outside Nigeria. • Study visits by officials of Imo State WSS to other Sta- te Water Agencies to share experiences and acquire knowledge about innovative ways of solving local pro- blems. • Participation of personnel of Imo State WSS Agencies in training programs organized by WSS Agencies • Twinning programs between Imo State WSS and other public utilities worldwide. • Recruitment of highly skilled technical and managerial staff and experts from other State Water Agencies as Consultants or Contract staff under various manage- ment or service contracts to assist in solving specific problems. 6.6. Policy Statement 6 – Gender Mainstreaming/The Role of Women Women shall be encouraged to take active roles in the ope- ration, monitoring and management of water schemes and in the leadership of WCAs and WASHCOMs. Strategy: • Imo State Government shall ensure that gender is mainstreamed in the water and sanitation sector at all levels through implementation of the following appro- ach: • Facilitate adequate representation of women in all Wa- ter and Sanitation decision making organs and proces- ses at the State, local, and community levels. • Promote active gender participation and mainstrea- ming in the water sector in the State. • Capacity building programs on gender mainstreaming in organizations, community projects and general ad- ministration should be handled by implementing part- Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 48 ners such as donor agencies, NGO’s, Civil society or- ganizations, CBO’s • Membership and leadership positions of CDA and WASHCOMs shall comprise at least 30% of women. • Women groups and bodies would be encouraged to send bids for Water and sanitation contracts, such as drilling. particularly in male dominated areas. 6.7. Policy Statement 7 – Avoid denial of less privileged, physically challenged and the poor access to basic water supply and sanitation services. Imo State Government shall ensure that the needs of the poorest of the poor, physically challenged are accommoda- ted in WASH service delivery. Strategy: • Cross subsidy shall be implemented to accommodate the needs of the urban poor. • Government shall subsidize for the poor where cross subsidy is not applicable. 6.8. Policy Statement 8 – Monitor and evaluate the performance of the sector for necessary policy review and improvement of water supply and sanitation The Government of Imo State will institutionalize Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting of activities and projects in the water sector to track progress of changes and to make necessary adjustments required to achieve the desired outcomes. The Government shall ensure that Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting mechanism is initiated in the sec- tor for informed Policy review. Strategy: Using the Task Group on Monitoring, Evaluation and Repor- ting to maintain a State-wide monitoring network for water and sanitation at the State and Local Governments levels. • Develop and implement comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation systems for water sector at State and local government levels in accordance with the Natio- nal Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system. • Institutionalize Monitoring Task Group at State and local tiers of Government to operate and manage Mo- nitoring and Evaluation units in MWR, State Water • Agencies, WASH Departments at LGA level and WAS- HCOMs and WCAs at community level in the State. • Promoting community participation in Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting. • Maintaining a State-wide water supply and sanitation database in the Ministry of Water Resources. • Ensuring feedback of information to promote proper planning and Policy adjustment 6.9. Policy Statement 9 – Institutional Framework Imo State Government adopts the following institutional framework, and shall implement institutional reforms, legal reforms and capacity building through the Policies set out below to give effect to this framework: 6.9.1. The Role of State Government: Government shall gradually disengage from direct invol- vement in the management and provision of water and sa- nitation services and focus on Policy, monitoring, coordina- tion, supporting and capital financing of the sector. Imo State Government has identified poor sector financing as the main factor that inhibited success in the WASH sec- tor in the State. This also was attributed to have been the reason for infrastructural break down, thus to address this issue; the Government has adopted the strategies: • Better organization and management of water supply and sanitation in rural areas with the capacity of village Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASH- coms) being enhanced through the creation of Village Level Operation and Maintenance groups (VLOMs) and greater support being provided by the Local Govern- ment Area WASH Departments and the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency. • Better organization and management of water supply and sanitation systems in small towns, whereby the capacity of Water Consumer Associations will be en- hanced through greater support being provided by the Local Government Area • WASH Departments and the Small-Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency. • Placing the delivery of Urban water supply and sanita- tion services on a more autonomous and commercial footing with the re-organization of Imo State Water Cor- poration into Imo State Water and sewerage Corpora- tion, which will gradually introduce the Cost Recovery Principle in order to enhance its financial and operatio- nal sustainability required to achieve high standards of WASH Policy 2019 49 service delivery and efficiency. • The State WASH sector service providers shall be overseen by the Imo State Water and Sanitation Ser- vice Regulatory Commission. 6.9.1.1. Through Improved Planning and Implementation Imo State Government shall prepare/enact as a matter of urgency a Master Plan for the Development of Water Supply and Sanitation Services in the State. The Master Plan will entail: • A thorough examination of the existing situation inclu- ding the cataloguing and appraisal of existing schemes and assets. • A detailed assessment of needs in all areas of the Sta- te. • The prioritization of investment and development needs • A timetable of projects and actions The Master Plan will be implemented with the financial as- sistance of the Government and External Support Agen- cies. The Master Plan will be subject to improved Monito- ring and Evaluation procedures to be implemented by all MDAs working in the sector. Continuous data collection and management for planning purposes will be introduced. 6.9.1.2. Through Participatory Approach and Appropri- ate Technology Imo State Government recognizes the difficulties that have been experienced in the delivery of WASH services and will therefore apply the following approaches: i. Increased community participation in planning, imple- mentation, management, monitoring and evaluation. ii. Choosing appropriate and affordable technology which takes account of the social, economic and en- vironmental characteristics of Imo State. iii. Improved mechanisms for water sanitation delivery, promotion and hygiene education to ensure that the gains achieved through improved water supply are not negated by poor awareness on sanitation and hygiene 6.9.1.3. The Imo State Government believes that access to sufficient, safe, affordable and sustainable water for personal and domestic uses and safe sanitation is a fundamental human right; and therefore, shall apply the following: • Ensure that every resident of the State have access to safe sanitation, at least 50 litres of potable water daily within a distance of 250metres; and the State Govern- ment shall progressively take steps to guarantee this provision. • Provision of safe water and sanitation facilities will be made mandatory for all public institutions including but not limited to hospitals, offices and schools; as well as in Private institutions employing more than 5 persons. • It shall be the responsibility of the State and Local Go- vernments to provide Water and Sanitation facilities in public Secondary and primary schools respectively. • All privately owned primary, secondary and tertiary in- stitutions in the State are required to provide safe wa- ter and GESI sensitive sanitation services for their staff and pupils as a condition for the issuance or renewal of their registration licenses. • Towards meeting the manpower requirements of WSS agencies in the State, a minimum of 5% of the annual personnel and overhead costs for water supply and sanitation agencies shall be allocated to manpower development at each level of Government. • All private and public Agencies developing Estate and New Settlements in the State are required to develop and provide sanitation systems and wastewater ma- nagement facilities as part of the physical development of the housing schemes. • All Local Governments are required to provide lands for the construction of public sanitation facilities with hand washing stations, which shall be constructed either by the LGA or by the private sector through Public Private Partnership. • All households in the State are required to build toilet with hand washing facilities, keep the inside and sur- roundings of their property clean and not to dispose waste in the streets, storm water drains and public spa- ces. It shall be an offence not to have a toilet facility in a residence or office employing more than 5 people. • All water connections from Public utilities shall be me- tered, in urban centers the Imo State Water and Se- werage Corporation will charge rates that cover its operation and maintenance costs. • Vandalization of water supply and sanitation facilities is an offence punishable by law, as provided in the Imo State Water law. • The Government shall ensure at least, 35% of all WSS positions in the State are reserved for women. • All major Water Service providers in the State must be registered with the State Water and Sewerage Regula- tory Commission and ensure that water produced for Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 50 public consumption have been tested and declared safe by State Water quality Agencies • Water sources shall be protected from potential source of contamination such as sand mining etc. • For on-site drinking water system, a minimum distance of 15 meters shall be kept between the water system and potential source of contamination. • It shall be illegal for any household or Corporate body to construct a Water Supply System within 30 meters radius from any latrine or graveyard • All water sources intended for human consumption shall comply with Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality and shall receive authorization from the Minis- try of Health before being supplied to the population. • Drinking water supplied by ISWSC, STOWA, RUWAS- SA, and other water service providers and bodies shall comply with Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Qua- lity. • All drinking water systems shall comply with construc- tion specifications as stipulated by Federal Ministry of Water Resources. • All materials and equipment in contact with drinking water shall comply with relevant Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) (such as casing, drilling additive, hand pumps, fitting, distribution pipe, and reservoir paint). • There shall be effective corrosion control of the mate- rials constituting the treatment and supply systems, tanks, pipes, pumps and valves. • Water quality results shall be accessible to the general public. • Individuals or firms planning to construct New Esta- tes where public water supply is not available should construct water supply sources that could be jointly accessed by residents. Digging of Individual wells or boreholes in housing estates is discouraged. • New buildings or extensions of old buildings should make provision for sanitary facilities including toilets and septic tanks /soakways. 6.9.2. The Role of Imo State Water and Sewerage Cor- poration: ISWSC shall provide service in urban areas and its assets shall be publicly owned. Its operations shall either be ma- naged by the ISWSC staff or through innovative Public -Pu- blic Partnership or Public Private Partnerships. Technology choice for WSS projects in urban towns shall be deter- mined by the ISWSC. The WASH Customer Forum (WCF) shall support and enhance relationship between service providers and Right owners for effective collaboration in planning and management. 6.9.3. The Imo State Small Towns Water Supply Agency: The IWADA shall be renamed Imo State Small Towns Water Supply Agency (STOWA) and shall provide service in small towns and its assets shall either be owned by the entity or by the Community Development Association depending on the cost and the scale of the technology adopted for each WSS project in a small town. Management of WSS projects in Small Towns shall be by STOWA or the WASH Consu- mers Association(WCAs) depending on the ownership of the project. However, STOWA shall encourage communi- ty ownership and management of WSS facilities as much as possible. Technology choice for WSS projects in small towns shall be determined by the Agency based on Demand Responsive Approach. The Water Consumers Associations shall support the collaborative relationship between service providers and right owners in the Small Towns. 6.9.4. The Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency: The Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency shall be known and recognized as RUWASSA to continue providing services in rural areas, and its assets shall either be owned by the entity or by the WASHcoms in the Com- munity depending on the cost and the scale of the tech- nology adopted for each WSS project in the community. Management of WSS projects in rural communities shall be by the WASHcoms based on the principle of community ownership and management. Technology choice for WSS projects in rural communities shall be determined by the Agency based on Demand Responsive Approach. 6.9.5. The Role of Imo State Water and Sewerage Regu- latory Commission An independent State Water and Sewerage Regulatory Body shall be created under the supervision of the Gover- nor’s Office and the Assembly, and shall be responsible for: • Collaborating with water service providers, Water Consumers’ Association and other water sector stake- holders to establish and implement effective and effi- cient water tariff structure for the State. • To regularly review water rate in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in the State as at when due, to ensure that urban water service providers are able to provide water in a cost effective and efficient manner. • Monitoring strict adherence by all other stakeholders to WASH Policy 2019 51 the roles, duties and responsibilities as provided by this Policy and associated water sector legislation • Monitoring and enforcing the standards of service as specified in this Policy in cooperation with the body re- sponsible for the monitoring of drinking water quality including » Discouraging water egoism in the management of water supply and service delivery in the State. 6.10. Policy Statement 10 - Sector Planning Imo State Government shall ensure that preparation and implementation of a Master Plan for Water Supply and Sa- nitation in the State, recognizing the synergy between water supply projects and sanitation projects. Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: The Master Plan will comprise: • A Long-term investment strategy • A Medium-term investment plan of five years’ duration • Financing provisions • Monitoring and oversight arrangements • Review procedures whereby the Master Plan is apprai- sed annually and updated The Master Plan will be developed by the Ministry of Water Resources in collaboration with all key stakeholders in the sector and in a participatory manner involving local gover- nment administrations, WCFs, WCAs, WASH Committees and relevant MDAs. The Master Plan will be developed and implemented in ac- cordance with the principles above and shall address water supply and sanitation in urban, small town and rural areas. The Master Plan will be prepared on the basis of: • A comprehensive inventory of all water supply and sa- nitation infrastructure in urban, small towns and rural areas • Needs identified by each State Agency (RUWASSA, STOWA) and by local organizations including local go- vernment administrations, WCFs, WCAs, WASH Com- mittees for improved water supply and sanitation • Clear and transparent prioritization criteria will be used in identifying the most urgent projects to be implemen- ted: The criteria for prioritization of funding for semi-urban and rural water facility development shall be based on: The ability of the community to exhibit the following: • The contribution of the 5% percent capital requirement towards the construction of the Facility • Establishment of the framework for the management of the facility such as WCAs, WASHcoms etc. and also a management contractor or operator. • A cost analysis by the WCA/WASHCOM that shows a gradual reduction plan/target for any government fi- nancing which will be achieved by the systematic col- lection of rates from the water users and a specified target date or plan for this. • Continued support to be subject to the achievement of the targets set above For Urban Schemes Financing to be based on an accepted plan for • Gradual and achieved increase target in revenue over a two-year period • Gradual and achieved target for reduction on cost and government subsidy input • Gradual and achieved reduction in unaccounted for water The investment strategy contained in the Master Plan for Water Supply and Sanitation will address: • Development and scaling up of large-scale water sup- ply schemes to multi-urban and peri-urban centres • Upgrade and rehabilitate existing ailing urban and small towns water supply and sanitation schemes • Rehabilitation of moribund public water utilities in the State • Construction of new facilities in line with the Policy tar- gets 6.11. Policy Statement 11 – Surface Water and Ground Water Monitoring The Government of Imo State shall focus on effective mo- nitoring of its surface water and ground water resources in support of Integrated Water Resources Management (Po- licy Statement 2) Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: • Ensure adequate, timely and effective monitoring and surveillance of all water sources in the State. • Facilitate collaboration with relevant Federal and State Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 52 MDAs and external support agencies to develop and implement framework for monitoring of surface waters and groundwater • Establish adequate hydrological and hydrogeological facilities to monitor surface water and ground water re- sources in the State. 6.12. Policy Statement 12 - Water Pricing and Tariff setting Water rates and tariffs will be subject to regulation by the Water and Sewerage Regulatory body in the State. The key criteria for the setting of water rates and tariffs will be: • Cost recovery at the appropriate level • Efficiency of service provision • Affordability for consumers Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: The Regulator will collaborate with water service providers, Water Consumers’ Associations (WCF, WCAs etc) and other water sector stakeholders in doing the following: • Conducting affordability surveys to determine income levels of various segments of the customers • Ensuring domestic consumers do not spend beyond 5% of their monthly income in accessing water supply in line with International standards • Ensuring water supply service cost reduction measu- res shall be pursued without compromising the quality of service. • Improved management practice (financial manage- ment, operation and maintenance, abstraction and treatment techniques and control of water sources pollution) shall be institutionalized to keep the cost to the minimum. • Institutionalizing efficient improvement techniques by Water Supply Agencies to reduce cost. • Ensuring all water supply undertakings shall be sub- jected to performance monitoring and evaluation pro- gram. • Ensuring Tariff policy shall protect the consumer from bearing the additional cost of the inefficiency of the Water Supply Agencies. • Ensuring all customers are metered starting with In- dustrial and commercial consumers to communal out- lets down to domestic customers. • Ensuring Provisions are made to extend service to the poor and vulnerable through social connections (public taps) • Ensuring tariff Policy guarantees cross subsidy to ac- commodate for the poor. • Ensuring tariff Policy shall ensure that the time for re- turn on investment provides adequate comfort for the customers. • Ensuring research and development of appropriate affordable and low-cost technologies for the disposal and recycling of all waste. • Charges shall be applied on the basis of the metered consumption of services wherever possible. • Facilitate MWR and its Agencies to conduct relevant studies such as willingness to pay and level of af- fordability; to guide water pricing structure for the State • Apply pro-poor Policies as outlined in Policy Statement 7 6.13. Policy Statement 13 – Demand Responsive Approach Government shall promote a demand-responsive approach to service provision whereby communities are guided to make informed choices regarding their participation, ser- vice level, and service delivery mechanisms for Water and sanitation including appropriate and affordable technology recognizing that the choice of appropriate technology for any rural community or small town is paramount to the suc- cess of implementing a water scheme at such locations: Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: • Adopt Demand Responsive Approach (DRA) in the selection process of water projects in communities and small towns in the State. • Create forum for participatory meetings where demand for water supply and sanitation services shall be made. • Promote transparent self-selection processes for pro- ject prioritization and prequalification of any communi- ty for participation in any water and sanitation project in the State. • Promote the concept of cost and role sharing in plan- ning, construction, ownership, operation and manage- ment of water supply and sanitation schemes or facili- ties in the spirit of demand responsiveness. • Develop plans to improve the application of demand responsiveness approach by all water institutions in the State. • Provide technical assistance to help the community in making informed decision on choice of technology. WASH Policy 2019 53 6.14. Policy Statement 14 – Legal and Regulatory Reform Legislations have been enacted at different times for WASH Sector governace. The existing legislation however does not address all issues relating to WASH services delivery. Other sectors/agencies (Ministry of Environment and ENTRACO) have laws related to water supply and sewerage that require harmonization with water legislation. Imo State government shall introduce legal reforms to fully support the effective implementation of this Policy Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: A legislative review shall be undertaken to identify: • Legal provisions that are in conflict with this Policy • Aspects of this Policy that are not adequately suppor- ted by law • The most appropriate means by which to address the- se issues • A legislative amendment program shall be adopted pursuant to the review and shall address the issue identified in the review, and shall include at least provi- sions to fully support: » The transformation of the Imo State Water and Se- werage Corporation into a statutory corporation with necessary powers to undertake the expanded role in the provision of water and sewerage ser- vices delivery. » The role, responsibilities and powers assigned to Imo State Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STOWA) under this Policy. » The role, responsibilities and powers assigned to the Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) under this Policy. » Establishment of a Water Sector and Sewerage Regulatory Body in accordance with this Policy. » Ensure that the Water Sector Steering Commit- tee is statutorily defined and provided for in the planned State WASH law. » Facilitate Private Sector Participation (PSP). 6.15. Policy Statement 15 - Capacity Building To have efficient and sustainable WASH service delivery, sustainable water supply and sewerage service delivery in urban area, requires building of strong institutions in terms of physical and human resources. Infrastructural capacity has to be enhanced. Human resources development is at the heart of institutional strengthening. The Government of Imo State shall ensure that WASH ins- titutions are appropriately and properly staffed and that the staff are adequately motivated. Women should be well re- presented in professional and managerial positions. Thus: • Retooling and infrastructure capacity has to be enhan- ced; • Revitalize State water Agencies • Support service providers in ensuring sustainable and efficient delivery of services • Improve autonomy and decentralized management in all water Agencies and institutions in the State whilst ensuring adequate accountability • Inventory of different expertise and needs-assessment will be done; • Training program will be prepared for implementation; • Succession plan for the sector staff will be developed and implemented. Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: • Periodically assess the capacity building needs of all the water supply and sanitation Agencies with a view to identifying capacity gaps and developing training needs that will enhance technical and managerial skills for improved performance. • Develop and implement human capital development strategies for the water sector in the State • Review and undertake capacity building programs for all water institutions in the State. • Provide continuous technical assistance and capaci- ty building programs for personnel in the entire water sector in the state, to ensure sustainability of their ope- rations and service delivery. • Provide Technical support with appropriate tools, equipment and computer software to enable them carry out their functions efficiently. • Support, mobilize and train Water Consumers Associ- ation in small towns to develop and adopt appropriate management strategies for the operation and manage- ment of their water in a sustainable manner. • Support, mobilize and train communities in rural areas to form Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committees that will manage community water supply. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 54 • Liaise with local and international training institutions to meet the training needs of water supply and sanitation Agencies in the State. • Organize experience sharing and learning visits to sites where best practices have been demonstrated with a view to injecting new practicable ideas in the system. • Liaise with external support agencies for capacity buil- ding of water supply and sanitation agencies in the State • Build capacity of State water institutions to carry out procurement in accordance with the applicable Procu- rement Act in the State. 6.16. Policy Statement 16- Research and Technological Development A variety of technologies are in use in the sector, some of these technologies are not sustainable because they are costly and inappropriate for the local situation. Very little re- search is done in the sector. Applied research and techno- logical development shall be promoted in this regard. Strategy Imo State Government shall implement this through the fol- lowing approaches; • Collaboration with WASH sector stakeholders, local and international research institutions will be strengt- hened. • Mechanisms for coordination and dissemination of sector research will be developed and institutionalized. • Local researchers’ initiatives will be encouraged. • Liaise with relevant research and training institutions to build capacity of locals for monitoring and manage- ment of surface water and ground water pollution. 6.17. Policy Statement 17- Waste Water and Environmental Management To effectively Manage waste water, Imo State Water and Se- werage Corporation shall develop a wastewater treatment system which is environmentally friendly. Water supply ser- vices in urban areas result in the production of wastewater estimated at about 40% of water supplied. Wastewater tre- atment and disposal in urban areas has not been accor- ded due priority. Common methods of disposal of public wastewater are through septic tanks and pit latrines. The wastewater so disposed is haphazardly discharged leading to contamination of groundwater sources and the environ- ment. Entities shall be required to ensure proper collection and disposal of sewerage. Strategy Most existing industries were established without was- tewater treatment facilities. In some instances, indust- rial wastewater contains toxic substances or biological process inhibitors. Industries shall establish pre-treat- ment facilities to treat their wastewater before dischar- ging into sewerage system. Imo State Government shall implement the following; To ensure domestic and industrial wastewater is not hapha- zardly discharged to contaminate water sources and the environment, the following will be done: • Sewerage systems and sludge disposal facilities (Tre- atment Plants) will be constructed. • Soak away emptying services will be established and / or contracted to the private operators, Soak away emp- tiers’ will be required to discharge only at sewerage tre- atment facilities. • Imo state Water and Sewerage Corporation shall co-operate with industries and other institutions in the research and development of low cost technologies for wastewater treatment and recycling. • Industries shall be required to use environmentally fri- endly raw materials with less toxic elements and adopt cleaner production technology. 6.18. Policy Statement 18 - Electric Power Supply The Government of Imo State shall support the impro- vement of electric power supply to existing water supply utilities in the State. Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- ach: • Ensure improvement of electric power supply to water utilities in the State. • Promote the use of alternative energy sources for water utilities in the water sector in Imo State 6.19. Policy Statement 19- Awareness Creation, WASH Education and Training Imo State Government shall implement measures to educa- te and raise public awareness of water issues including WASH Policy 2019 55 water conservation, benefits of sanitation and best hygiene practices. Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following: • Facilitate knowledge-based education campaigns for integrated water resources management best practices for effective water governance in the State. • Collaborate with relevant MDAs and development part- ners to establish Sanitation and Health Clubs for hygie- ne promotion in schools. • Putting WASH in and through schools (WINS) in school curriculum to increase child to child learning while bro- adening knowledge on school and Community hygiene • Organize effective sensitization campaigns on drinking water quality for urban, small towns and rural dwellers in the State through encouraging Household water tre- atment(boiling), safety and storage. • Encourage the incorporation of hygiene education in school curriculum emphasizing effective handwashing at critical times and improved latrine usage in collabo- ration with relevant MDAs in the State. • Collaborate with relevant MDAs and development part- ners to promote and encourage behavioural change in rural, small towns and urban areas leading to better sa- nitation practices. • Sensitize local communities on environmental pollution through the practice of Open Defecation and the need for environmental protection in collaboration with rele- vant MDAs in the State. • Collaborate with relevant MDAs and development part- ners to develop, test and provide guidelines and design training materials on participatory hygiene promotion and education. • Incorporation of Water and Sanitation related issues in other State Government Policies to help achieve sus- tainable environment and development. • Collaborate with relevant MDAs and development partners to incorporate issues of Gender, Equity and social Inclusion components in hygiene promotion and education materials, as well as design of water supply and water sanitation facilities in the State. • Sensitization of Traditional Rulers Council, Faith Based Organizations, Community Based Organizations, Civil Society Organizations etc on the relationship between Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to Health. 6.20. Policy Statement 20 – Water Service Delivery Imo State Government shall take measures to ensure ef- fective, efficient and reliable delivery of water supply and sanitation services Strategy: Government of Imo State shall implement the following measures: • Strengthen water service providers in urban areas and small towns in the State in particular through: • Requiring these service providers to apply modern bu- siness management approaches including adherence to: » The principle of commercial viability including cost effectiveness and efficiency » Customer focused orientation; » Ensuring affordability of services; » Accountability to customers and the government. » Pro-poor incentives in their respective operation and management strategy. • Develop guidelines for control and reduction of wasta- ges and unaccounted-for and Non-Revenue -water in all water schemes in the State. • The inclusion of capacity building programs in all water supply and sanitation projects in the State • Develop and implement guidelines and strategies for private sector participation and community invol- vement within the water and sanitation sector in the State. • Afford reasonable autonomy to urban water supply service providers • Facilitating best practices leading to effective financial management of the water service providers • Review and strengthening of operation and maintenan- ce arrangements • Develop strategies to ensure customers water needs are met during period of natural disaster and health emergencies. • Provide technical assistance to support private or In- formal water sector for effective water delivery 6.21. Policy Statement 21- Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 56 Development of Water Safety plans (Water Quality Monitoring and surveillance) Imo State water service providers in the Urban, Small Town and Rural Areas and community water committees shall have Water Safety Plan developed that will ensure minimal contamination of water sources, the reduction or removal of contamination through treatment processes and the prevention of contamination from source, during storage, distribution/transportation and handling of drinking water. Strategy • The Water Safety Plans shall be approved by the Drin- king Water Quality Surveillance department of the Wa- ter Agencies, validated and enforced by the Regulatory Commission. • If the system is not capable of meeting the standards for drinking water quality, a program for upgrading (which may include capital investment or training) shall be initiated to ensure that the drinking water supply meets the acceptable standard. • The State Agencies responsible for providing water and sanitation services shall support water service providers in establishing and implementing the Water Safety Plans. • WASH units/Departments at the Local Government Level shall support the water consumers Associations and Community water committees managing on-site drinking water facilities in the development of Water Safety Plans and committees shall conduct regular sanitary inspections of the water facilities in the com- munities. 6.22. Policy Statement 22 – Infrastructure Funding Arrangements The Government of Imo State shall take primary responsi- bility for the funding arrangements for capital infrastructure investments in the water supply sector utilizing all available sources of finance to support continued and accelerated investment. Strategy: Imo State Government shall implement the following appro- aches: • Enhance the public sector contribution by seeking funds for development projects in water and sanitati- on sector in Imo State through Federal, State and LGA budgetary allocations • Seek grants from External Support Agencies, Develop- ment Partners, loans and credits from International and local financing institutions, grants from national or In- ternational donor agencies, and support from other economic agents (such as the oil companies) • Encourage effective coordination and harmonization of funds in a concerted manner 6.23. Policy Statement 23 – Sanitation Technologies Imo State Government shall ensure appropriate and stan- dardized water sanitation technology is developed, opera- ted, maintained and promoted in respective rural communi- ties and small towns in the State. Strategy: • Identify, design and facilitate the construction of appro- priate GESI compliant technological sanitation facilities for sanitation and hygiene needs in an economically viable and sustainable manner for rural communities and small towns. • Design and promote appropriate latrine technology op- tions for use by different households and communities in the State • Collaborate with relevant MDAs to standardize techno- logy options for use by different communities and ins- titutions such as schools, hospitals and public places like motor parks, market squares, abattoirs, parks and gardens. • Establish sanitation centres in small towns and rural communities where people can receive information on technology options and buy materials for construction of improved latrines for sustainable sanitation service delivery. 6.24. Policy Statement 24 - Sanitation Management The delivery of effective sanitation provisions shall be pro- moted by Imo State Government. Strategy: • Liaise with relevant MDAs and development partners to facilitate the formation, operation and management of sustainable water sanitation service delivery me- chanisms at Urban, rural community and small-town levels. • Collaborate with relevant Federal and State MDAs, External Support Agencies and CSOs/NGOs to assist WASH Policy 2019 57 communities to build improved household latrines and eradicate open defecation. • Collaborate with relevant Federal and State MDAs, Ex- ternal Support Agencies and CSOs/NGOs to facilitate campaigns on appropriate usage of basic water and sanitation facilities such as tippy taps for improved he- alth conditions and reduction of infant mortality. • Collaborate with NGOs and CSOs for innovation and support in creating wider access to sanitation service delivery in the State. • Promote community led management structure for ef- fective sanitation service delivery to small towns and rural communities. • Liaise with relevant MDAs and development partners to implement CLTS or any other • adoptable best practices for triggering, operating, mar- keting and managing water sanitation in all communi- ties in the State. • Adopt and implement Community Led Total Sanitati- on (CLTS) approach in rural areas and small towns to eradicate open defecation· Promote the construction of improved household latrines to reduce the transmis- sion of water-related diseases in the State. • Encourage private sector actors and NGOs in hygiene promotion in rural areas and small towns in the State. • Integrate good sanitation services with improved wa- ter supply facilities in the urban, small towns and rural communities. • Encourage the use of local materials and involvement of local contractors in hygiene promotion. • Identify preferences for different technological options and designs that are affordable to different communi- ties in the State as further described below • Encourage community participation in the implemen- tation of water sanitation projects in the upland and riverine/coastal communities • Encourage private sectors, NGOs, CSOs, FBOs and CBOs to support LGA initiatives for sanitation delivery and capacity building 6.25. Policy Statement 25- Institution of Award Imo State Government will provide motivations in the form of annual awards/rewards, to be given during the world/ National Water and Sanitation Day celebration, in recogni- tion of efforts towards measurable achievements in institu- tionalization of good sanitation practices. The Task Group on monitoring, evaluation and Reporting will oversee this through their regular visits to ensure State WASH policy Im- plementation thereby develop awards. Strategy: • Acknowledgement of the Best School Environmental Health Clubs which shall be determined using a tool developed by the inter-ministerial steering committee • Acknowledgement of the Best sanitary observed mar- ket in the state • Acknowledgement of the Best three (3) community WASHcoms that have effectively operated, maintained and managed their WASH facilities with tariff generated from households • Acknowledgement of the Cleanest Working Environ- ment (Private & Government) • Acknowledgement of the cleanest Motor Parks in the state • Acknowledgement of the Open Defecation Free(ODF) communities in the state To be eligible for the award, awardees: • Must be able to demonstrate a sustained safe WASH practice to ensure that the safe disposal of excreta, se- werage, and drainage will be managed efficiently on an on-going basis. • Shall be judged by the task group on Monitoring on the basis of criteria that encompass the following: excreta disposal; waste water disposal; solid waste disposal; personal hygiene; community participation; and quality of life. Suitable indicators will be developed for each of these criteria and assigned different marks depending on their significance. Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 58 WASH Policy 2019 59 7.0 WASH Institutional Arrangments 7.1. Stakeholders Relevant to Wash Sector Policy Implementation in Imo State The following institutions and their respective roles and re- sponsibilities are either recognized or recommended in this Policy as having significant roles to play in the promotion and maintenance of successful water resources manage- ment: » Imo State Government » Imo State Ministry of Water Resources (A replace- ment of the Imo State Ministry of Public Utilities by renaming) » Imo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resour- ces » Imo State Ministry of Health » Imo State Ministry of Education (Basic Education, Ter- tiary and Non formal etc.) » Imo State Ministry of Information » Imo state Ministry of Gender Affairs » Imo State Ministry of Agriculture » Imo State Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Statistics » Imo State Ministry of Justice » Imo State Ministry of Works » Imo State Ministry of Housing » Imo State Ministry of lands, Survey and Urban Planning » Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation. (A Repla- ced name for Imo State Water Corporation) » Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (A replacement of the Imo State Water De- velopment Agency (IWADA) » Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) (A replaced name for Imo State Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Agency -RU- WESA) » Imo State Water Services and Sewerage Regulatory Commission (New Commission introduced by this Policy) » Bureau of Statistics » Imo State House of Assembly » Local Governments WASH Departments (New De- partment introduced by this policy) » Civil Society Organizations /Non-Governmental Orga- nizations » External Support Agencies (ESAs) » Donor Agencies » Communities » The Private Sector » WASH Customer Forum (WCFs) (Forum set up by this policy) » Water Consumer Association and Water Sanitation and hygiene Committee (WCAs and WASHcoms) » Imo State WASH Sector Steering Committee (New committee introduced by this Policy) » The Due Process Office » Imo State Civil Service Commission Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 60 PROPOSED INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE IMO STATE WASH SECTOR Executive Council Imo State WASH Sector Regulatory Commission Small Town Water Supply and sanitation Agency Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency Private Sector WASH Customer Forum Water Consumers Association WASH Committees Ministry of Water Resources Task Group on Water Supply Sustainability Task Group on sanitation services Task Group on M&E Task Group on communication and Reporting Imo State Water & Sewage Corporation WASH Sector Steering Committee KEY Oversight Function Regulatory Function WASH Policy 2019 61 a. Imo State Government shall: Focus on facilitating change and creating the enabling en- vironment for success of the WASH Sector: » Enact relevant water supply, Sanitation and Hygiene laws to implement water, sanitation policies and re- forms. » Finances capital project (rehabilitation of existing and construction of new WASH facilities) in the short and long term and funds for operation and maintenance at urban levels in the short term. » Establish the WASH Sector steering Committee » Establish Technical Task Groups to support the Sector Coordination Committee » Promote Private sector Participation in water services delivery through Procurement contracts, Consultan- cies, Service and Management contracts. » Approve and Implement new International and National policy instruments for the development of the sector, such as the Water Investment Mobilization and Appli- cation Guidelines (WIMAG) » Grant increased autonomy to the WASH Agencies and isolate them from political Interference b. The Imo State Ministry of Water Resources; Imo State Government shall through the Ministry of Water Resources Implement the following actions: » Policy formulation, review and production of Imo State Water supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Policy and its im- plementation Guidelines; » Maintains state-wide WASH information data base, data collection, resources and demand surveys, mo- nitoring, evaluation and co-ordination of water supply and water related sanitation development and ma- nagement, studies, research and development in rural areas. » Establishment of a WASH Information Management System in order to enable the planning and develop- ment of sanitation; consolidation of information and data from all line agencies; » Facilitate short, medium- and long-term WASH sector planning; » Developing Government programs on Water Resour- ces and Sanitation; Facilitate intensive training and capacity building programs for State and local gover- nment personnel, Civil Society Organizations / NGOs, local artisans, and community officers involved in water and sanitation service delivery throughout the State. » Liaise with relevant line MDAs to ensure the enactment of a water, sanitation and Hygiene law in the state. » Liaise with relevant Line MDAs in the State and the Water and Sanitation Sector Steering Committee to routinely harmonize and coordinate all activities in the Water and Sanitation sector in the State. » Facilitating financing from the Government and interna- tional sources for projects across the State; Collabora- te with relevant MDAs to provide funds through bud- getary allocation for the implementation of this Policy » Drive Water Resources Management; Liaise with Inte- grated Water Resources Management Commission to develop, review and implement catchment manage- ment plans for effective development and utilization of the entire surface water and ground water resources in a sustainable way. » Liaise with relevant Federal, State MDAs and LGAs for compliance monitoring and enforcement of all relevant Water and Sanitation codes, standards and regulations in the State. » Creation of an enabling environment for meaningful pri- vate sector participation in the sector » Strengthen the operation and management of hydro- logical and hydrogeological monitoring networks in the State. » Collaborate with the Academia, Research Institutions, other relevant Ministries, Agencies, ESAs, NGOs and the private sector to conduct, promote and coordinate research on appropriate Water and Sanitation techno- logies and systems in the State. » Ensure inter-governmental collaboration (to liaise with Federal Agencies in the state like Anambra/Imo River Basin Development Authority-AIRBDA etc.) on matters relating to water resources management, water supply and irrigation in the state. » Liaise with all relevant MDAs and the media in the State to disseminate relevant information on cost effective, appropriate, affordable and environment friendly Water and Sanitation technologies to the general public in the State. » Policy advice to the State Government on water sup- ply activities and sanitation services on issues concer- ning expected levels of service (quality and quantity) and other technical information necessary for effective operation in the rural areas of the State. » Provide technical assistance to the Local Government WASH units / Departments through its appropriate Agency. » Ensure effective supervision of all State Water and Sa- Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 62 nitation Agencies and facilitate timely release of funds for water supply and sanitation activities in the State. The Ministry shall coordinate the activities of the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation, Small- Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency in the following respects: » Carry out its designated role as the Policy formu- lation organ for the water supply, sanitation and Hygiene sector. » Mobilize resources for the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation, Small- Town Water Supply And Sanitation Agency and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) including ensuring the release of budgetary allocation for capital and recurrent expenditure » Provide technical support to the agencies in the planning and implementation of their programs » Receive periodic reports of activities from the Ur- ban, Small-Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency » Supervise and evaluate the implementation of their programs. » Plan and hold state meetings for the review of their programs. » Encourage Learning alliance/peer-to-peer learning amongst State WASH Agencies and other perfor- ming WASH agencies locally, nationally and in- ternationally through linking programs, exchange/ study visits, and mentoring programs for capacity development. » Any other assignment as may be given by the Commis- sioner of Water Resources or the State Governor c. The Imo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources The Ministry shall support the WASH Sector by: » Formulating Policies such as; Policy on solid waste dis- posal and sanitation in markets, motor parks and gara- ges, and abattoirs. Sanitation policy and Implementati- on strategies on Environmental issues. » Ensuring the protection of Water sources in collabora- tion with the MWR. » Ensuring that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of any project that would affect Water Supply in the State is conducted. » Undertake restitution mechanisms under the Polluter Pays Principle in collaboration with National and State Agencies. » Supervise her Agencies- ENTRACO and State Emer- gency Management Agency (SEMA) » Develop strategies for the proper management of wa- ter run offs, drainages, channels and domestic solid waste. » The Imo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Re- sources in consultation with approval of the Federal Ministry of Environment shall declare special protecti- on zones for Chemical Elements Sensitive Areas (such as Nitrates, heavy metals), and wetlands » Undertake such activities as are identified in the man- date of the Ministry as related to the Water and Sanita- tion Sector subject to this Policy. d. Imo State Ministry of Health The Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality identifies the role of the State Ministry of Health for water quality sur- veillance. The State Water Services and Sewerage Regu- latory Commission in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health shall develop minimum water quality standards in accordance with National Guidelines as well as surveillance regulations and procedures which shall be implemented by the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health shall; » Upgrade the Epidemiology unit to the Department of Epidemiology and Water Safety, to cater for drinking water quality surveillance and enforcement strategy, develop drinking water quality surveillance and en- forcement procedures, communicating drinking water quality data to stakeholders and consumers (disse- mination), establishing State priorities in the sector of drinking water quality surveillance. » Ensure the Department of Epidemiology and Water Sa- fety shall have a pool of inspectors in charge of drin- king water quality investigations, water sampling and sanitary inspection, control and enforcement of water safety plans and enforcement of Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality in Imo State. » Generate and disseminate data on Water and Sanita- tion related diseases; through its epidemiology, and Public Health Unit. » Collaborate with the State Water and Sanitation Sector steering Committee, Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the State on control of all Water related diseases; particu- larly in management and control. » Collaborate with State Ministries of Water Resources WASH Policy 2019 63 and Environment in the promotion of Water sanitation and hygiene; » Collaborate with all relevant MDAs on capacity buil- ding programs in sound water sanitation and hygiene practices. e. Imo State Ministry of Education (Basic Education, Tertiary and Non-Formal etc.) Imo State Ministry of Education shall: » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources and other relevant MDAs on matters of school sanitation and hygiene education; » Review primary and secondary school curricula to in- clude Water and Sanitation issues as examinable cour- se » Develop IEC materials and Jingles on sanitation and hygiene for public enlightenment » Ensure mass literacy program and adult literacy curri- culum to include water and sanitation education. » Provision of GESI sensitive water supply and sanitation facilities in publicly owned schools » Ensure the observation of weekly sanitation days in schools within the State » Enforcement of standard hygienic living condition in all schools within the state f. Imo State Ministry of Information State Ministry of Information shall: » Collaborate with MWR, ISWSC, STOWA and RUWAS- SA to develop and implement communication strategy for the implementation of this Policy for improved pub- lic awareness on the linkages between WASH and the rest of the 16 SDGs. » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources on sha- ring and dissemination of information on Water and Sanitation through public enlightenment programs, Jingles and News tracks; » Liaise with all relevant Agencies to conduct enlighten- ment campaigns on payment of customer awareness on water tariffs, water conservation, water demand management and water efficiency. » Collaborate with relevant MDAs to pursue vigorous campaigns for re-orientation of the citizenry towards sound Water and Sanitation consciousness; control of water menace, associated risks due to water pollution and water hazards within the State. » Collaborate with relevant MDAs to actively participate in the annual National Water and Sanitation Day as well as other international dedicated days on related Water and Sanitation activities. g. Imo State Ministry of Gender Affairs State Ministry of Gender Affairs shall: » Sensitize and motivate women participation in Water and Sanitation activities; ensure gender mainstreaming into water and sanitation issues in the state (Such as participation in WASH sector committees, assuming leadership positions in WASH sector etc). » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources in infor- mation dissemination, awareness creation and positive behavioural changes on Water, sanitation and hygiene among women and Menstrual Hygiene. » Work together with Ministry of Water Resources on women empowerment through participation in pro- curements in the State, training and retraining on the delivery of Water and Sanitation services in rural, small towns and urban centers. » Educating, Training, and catering for the children, who are the most vulnerable during water or sanitation cri- sis. » Assessment of WASH projects in the State to determi- ne benefits and opportunities available to women, pos- sible negative impact on women and Men and ways of mitigating these negative effects. » Conduct of Awareness creation program for women groups on disaster and risk management on water di- saster. » Conduct survey and studies in the WASH sector on a gender balancing perspective and make findings of the surveys available to bodies in the sector for policy and planning purposes. h. Imo State Ministry of Agriculture State Ministry of Agriculture shall: » Work in partnership with Ministry of Water Resources to harness available water » resources for agricultural development in the State. » Work with relevant MDAs to develop and implement strategies to control water pollution from inappropriate use of Agrochemicals and fertilizers » Collaborate with relevant MDAs to create awareness on the danger of drinking from polluted water bodies in and around farmlands, farm settlements, agricultural processing facilities and abattoirs Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 64 i. Imo State Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Statistics State Planning Commission shall: » Work together with Ministry of Water Resources to de- velop sustainable development plans for the water and sanitation sector in the state. » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources to gu- arantee steady processing of the release of funds for budgetary allocations for water and sanitation projects and programs in the state. » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources to provi- de and advance technical planning advice for effective implementation of water and sanitation activities in the state. » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources to main- tain a databank for water and sanitation activities in the State. » Collaborate with Federal Ministry of Economic plan- ning to attract donor agencies to the state. j. Imo State Ministry of Justice State Ministry of Justice shall: » Partner with Ministry of Water Resources and other stakeholders in reviewing relevant laws and drafting water law for the State. » Work with Ministry of Water Resources in providing le- gal guidance on relevant legal issues in the sector in the State. » Collaborate with relevant MDAs in the water and sa- nitation sector to prosecute offenders, defaulters and contraveners of provisions of the proposed water law. k. Imo State Ministry of Works and Mineral Resources State Ministry of Works shall: » Ensure that highways and major roads are regular- ly maintained and well drained, with the storm water well-disposed and do not pollute any water source. » Collaborate with Ministry of Water resources and its MDAs, during Road Construction or expansion to mo- nitor in other to ensure that Water pipelines are secu- red, not altered or damaged » Ensure all building plans or plans to extend old buil- dings have provision for sanitary facilities located at least 30 meters to underground source of water supply. » Ensure all Building plans or extension plans for old buil- dings have provision for water facilities either through connection to public water supply or wells and bore- holes » Ensure Building plans for Estates promote joint/central sources of water supply and centralized sewerage sys- tem rather than Individual wells/boreholes or decentra- lized waste water management systems. l. Imo State Water & Sewerage Corporation ISWSC shall; » Plan, establish, control, manage, extend and develop urban water works as considered necessary for the purpose of providing wholesome, potable water for consumption by the public for domestic, trade, com- mercial, industrial, scientific and other uses. » Plan, establish, control, manage, and develop sewera- ge (waste water) treatment facilities as considered necessary in collaboration with the relevant MDAs and stakeholders » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources and other relevant MDAs in accessing bilateral and multi- lateral funds. » Charge and collect approved water rates by Imo State Water supply and Sewerage Regulatory Commission or the body so designated for approval of water rates. » Ensure that contracts or agreements entered into with a third party (private sector participation) such as Pro- curement contracts, Consultancies, Service and Ma- nagement contracts aimed at improving water supply in the State are properly documented, adequately su- pervised, monitored and well executed. » Ensure that adequate wholesome and safe water is supplied to its customers in line with relevant National Standards for Water Quality. » Conduct, organize or commission research in respect to water supply, Water resource development and matters connected therewith and submit the results of such research to the Ministry of Water Resources for Policy formulation. » Support the implementation of a Citizen’s Participation System through the involvement of WASH customer Forum, to ensure that water service provision reflects demands of all user groups » Creation of Water Customer database and ensuring that water consumers in urban areas are identified and recorded in a customer database to enhance consu- mer relations and effective revenue collection. » Ensure regular meetings of water consumers’ consul- tative forum for effective provider customer relations- hip. » Developing a Water Safety plan and present it to the WASH Policy 2019 65 Ministry of Health for approval. » Be equipped with minimum laboratory facilities to carry out routine water quality control. » Ensure results of internal routine water quality control shall be made available to Ministry of Water Resources and to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors of the Ministry of Health » Establish and implement a Water Safety Plan that in- cludes all measures undertaken to achieve NSDWQ » Facilitate the access of all water facilities to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors. » Inform Imo State Ministry of Health in case of failure of water treatment process. » Provide regular update on water facilities and status, to Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Health. » Monitoring and evaluation of water services delivery with a view to achieving policy targets and quality con- trol » Preparation of annual report on water services delivery and dissemination of same to stakeholders. » Maintaining good customer relations and feedback system » Annual Inspection of water quality of private service providers and production/dissemination of report to the Ministry of Water Resources and the WASH regu- latory body. m. Small Town Water Supply Agency (STOWA) shall be responsible for; IWADA shall be upgraded to serve as Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and the staff shall be regula- rized; thus shall carry out functions as underlisted; » Establish, control, manage, extend and develop water schemes for small towns using a demand responsive approach for the purpose of providing potable water for small town communities. » Ensure coordination of all small towns’ water supply and sanitation schemes vested in the Agency with full collaboration with LGAs and WCAs. » Collaborate with State Ministry of Water Resources to develop, review and implement the Imo State Water and Sanitation Policy for the purpose of attaining good delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services in small towns in the State; » Work together with relevant MDAs, and small towns in the State to design, construct and rehabilitate approp- riate Water and Sanitation technology options desired by any small town in the State. » Create and implement a Water Safety Plan that inclu- des all measures undertaken to achieve NSDWQ » Facilitate the access of all water facilities to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors. » Inform Imo State Ministry of Health in case of failure of water treatment process. » Provide regular update on water facilities characteri- stics and status to Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Health. » Collection of water tariffs in Small Towns » Monitoring and evaluation of water services delivery with a view to achieving policy targets and quality con- trol » Preparation of periodic report on water services deli- very and dissemination of same to stakeholders. » Promoting private sector participation in water services delivery through Procurement Contracts, Consultan- cies, Service and Management contracts. » Small towns Water data acquisition and management » Submit to the Ministry of Water Resources quarterly reports of activities » Propose tariffs for approval by the Water Supply Regu- latory Commission, maintain good customer relations and feedback system » Compile and forward periodic water quality reports to relevant Agency/Department in the State Ministry of water Resources and State Ministry of Health » Ensure results of internal routine water quality control shall be made available to Ministry of Water Resources and to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors of the Ministry of Health » Develop appropriate Water and Sanitation technolo- gy options for small towns and in conjunction with the LGA WASH units or Departments, sensitize WCAs to make informed decision on choice of appropriate tech- nology for their small towns. » Attain training of trainers workshop to transfer knowled- ge to the WCAs in the LGA. n. Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) shall » Collaborate with Ministry of Water Resources to de- velop, review and implement the Imo State Water and Sanitation Policy for the purpose of attaining good de- livery of water, sanitation and hygiene services in rural areas in the State; » Work in partnership with relevant WASH line MDAs, and rural communities in the State to design, construct Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 66 and rehabilitate appropriate Water and Sanitation tech- nology options desired by rural communities. » Work together with relevant MDAs, and rural communi- ties in the State to ensure that standards for Water and Sanitation facilities are adhered to by service providers. » Partner with MDAs, and CSOs to generate funds for development and implementation of sustainable Water and Sanitation programs in rural areas in the State » Partner with NGOs/CSOs to scale up sanitation and latrine uptake in all rural communities of the State th- rough the promotion of CLTS management approach. » Partner with all relevant MDAs and to scale up sanita- tion and hygiene programs in all rural communities in the State by promoting CLTS, WASH in schools and value-based sanitation and hygiene programs. » Partner with relevant MDAs and other development partners to develop CLTS curriculum and integrate in school system up to post-secondary level with a view to scaling up CLTS. » Partner with relevant MDAs for construction of WASH facilities in all schools in rural communities and support schools (primary and secondary) throughout the State with hand washing facilities for the promotion of effec- tive handwashing with soap. » Collaborate with relevant MDAs, CSOs and rural com- munities in the State to train and execute capacity buil- ding programs for States, LGAs and community offici- als on various aspects of Water and Sanitation in rural areas. » Maintain database for rural WASH intervention in the state. » Work with External support Agencies e.g. United Na- tions Children’s Fund (UNICEF), European Union (EU), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Department for International Development (DFID), for surveillance on Guinea worm and eradication of other water borne diseases through the provision of Potable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education in the affec- ted communities. » Train Local artisans and hygiene promoters. » Prepare annual report on rural water and sanitation service delivery and dissemination of same to stake- holders. » Support communities to establish Community WAS- Hcoms for operation and maintenance that will trans- form to sustainability of water facilities. » Promote Rural Water and Sanitation data acquisition and management. » Train LGA WASH Departments, Community artisans to promote household sanitation strategies. » Support Local Government Area WASH Departments in the establishment of VLOM systems. » Submit to the Ministry of Water Resources quarterly report of activities. » Forward annual water quality reports to the Imo Sta- te Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Health surveillance agency/department. » Establish and implement a Water Safety Plan that in- cludes all measures undertaken to achieve NSDWQ » Facilitate the access of all water facilities to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors in rural areas. » Inform Imo State Ministry of Health and Ministry of En- vironment and Natural Resources in case of failure of water treatment process. » Provide regular update on water facilities characteri- stics and status, to Ministry of water Resources and Ministry of Health. » Monitor and Evaluate State Rural WASH Programs. o. Imo State Water & Sanitation Services Regulatory Commission (ISWSRC) There will be established an independent Regulatory Com- mission for the WASH Sector. The Commission shall carry out regulatory functions and will ensure compliance with its regulations by the service providers. The Commission shall serve as the watch dog for the Water Sector and is expected to perform a major role in enforcing the applicable regulations and thus ensuring the development of the Water Sector in line with global standards. In particular, the Com- mission is expected to; » Regulate and set Tariff and arbitrate on Tariff matters among all water service providers and users. » Approve from time to time the rates and scales of char- ges payable for water supply, waste water, sewerage and other services within the State and such rates and scales of charges are to be determined taking into con- sideration the interests of consumers, the need to en- sure the viability of the water sector, and the need to ensure competition amongst the operators. » Set standard, approve and from time to time review standards of performance of services in the water and sanitation sector. » Provide regulatory rulings on regulatory submissions from any private participant and the water and sanitati- on agencies in the State. » Ensure strong, transparent, efficient and equitable WASH Policy 2019 67 processes are developed for managing the selection, development, procurement, implementation and moni- toring of PPP projects in water and sanitation sector in the state. » Ensure that water supply and sanitation service provi- ders are licensed and monitored to confirm that their functions are properly carried out in the State. » Advise the State Executive Council on matters relating to the regulation of the water and sanitation sector. » Monitor and regulate construction of water and sanita- tion facilities, septic tanks, public toilets, mobile toilets, treatment plants, cesspools and all sanitary facilities in the State » Monitor, supervise, and regulate public and private wa- ter and sanitation infrastructures in the State » Ensure compliance and enforcement of water and sa- nitation governance practices » Promote the rights of access to basic Water Supply. » Ensure citizen involvement, voice and accountability in determining water rate. » Set standards and norms for consumer service. » Regulate and approve conformity of Water Tariffs and price regulation charged to consumers. » Issuance of Water Services Provider Permits. » Ensure the preparation of and compliance with quality of service Regulations, including Water Quality, to gui- de service delivery to consumers. » Issuance of licenses for consumers and for companies involved in the abstraction, transmission and distribu- tion of water. » Determine and administer any subsidy structures and schemes that may be applicable to the Sector. » Developing sector guidelines on the technical and fi- nancial management of Water and Sanitation Services Providers making regulations prescribing all matters required or permitted to be prescribed for carrying out its duties, including: » Provision of a framework for the regulation of pu- blic private participation in water supply and sa- nitation. » The administration of the affairs of the ISWRC, in- cluding, among other things, the holding of mee- tings, hearings and proceedings, arbitration and mediation of proceedings. The procedure for issuing WSP Licenses. » The determination of standards for the provision of pre- scribed Water Services, including Water Quality Stan- dards in line with the NSDWQ » The method and manner by which the Tariffs that may be charged by Water and Sanitation Services Provi- ders. » Monitoring and enforcing the duties, powers, rights, and obligations of a Water and Sanitation Services Provider » The resource procurement policies of and entry into PPP agreements by the Water or Sanitation Services Providers. » Set, approve and from time to time review standards of performance of services by the Water or Sanitation service providers. p. The State Government shall establish a State WASH Sector Steering Committee who shall; » Organize and coordinate State efforts for sanitation and hygiene promotion » Implement the Effective Water Sanitation Hygiene Po- licy in Imo State » The Ministry of Water Resources shall be the Coordina- ting Ministry (as well as the secretariat) It shall comprise representatives from: Category 1. Executive Governor of Imo State (Or Representative) (Chairman) 2. SGI 3. Ministry of Water Resources (Hon Com, Perm Sec, Dir Water Services, Director Planning, Dir Hydrology and Hydrogeology and PRO) 4. Imo State Water and Sewerage corporation Members (GM, PRO, Dir commercial, Dir water services, Dir Planning, M&E Officer) 5. Rural Water & Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA)(PM, Head of Water supply and Head of sanitation) 6. Local Government WASH Departments 7. Small Town Water and Sanitation Agency (GM and PRO) 8. Imo State Water Borehole Operators Association (Chairman) 9. Private Vendors of Sanitation Services 10. ENTRACO 11. Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources(Perm Sec, WASH Desk Officer and PRO) 12. Ministry of Health (Perm Sec ,Dir Public Health and PRO) 13. Ministry of Agriculture ( DAF and PRO) Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 68 14. Ministry of Gender Affairs (Perm Sec and Dir Gender Affair and PRO) 15. Ministry of Education (Perm Sec and Desk Officer WASH, PRO) 16. Ministry of Justice (Perm Sec and Dir Legal Drafting, PRO) 17. Imo State Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Statistics (Perm Sec and Dir Budget, PRO) 18. Imo State Bureau of Statistics (Statistician General) 19. Landlord Association 20. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)(WASH, GESI, Citizens Engagement, Voice and Accountability, Budget Tracking, Advocacy) 21. Representative of Traditional Rulers 22. Nigeria Labor Congress(Chairman and PRO) 23. Religious leaders (FBOs) (Chairman CAN) 24. Market Union(Chairman and Women Leader) 25. Reform Champions and WASH Customer forum 26. Media(IBC and NTA) 27. Ministry of Local Government 28. Ministry of Information 29. Primary Health Care Management Board There shall be Four Task Groups created out of the WASH Sector Steering Committee, which will include; » Task Group on Sanitation and Hygiene Services » Task Group on Water systems sustainability » Task Group on Communication and Public Relations » Task Group on Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting The task groups shall report to the steering committee. q. Primary Health Care Development Agency shall; » Collate and disseminate information on sanitation rela- ted diseases in the State » Collaborate with line agencies in capacity building for sanitation workers, both public and private. r. Local Governments WASH Departments shall be re- sponsible for: » Implementation of rural water supply and sanitation programs through their WASH department in conjun- ction with RUWASSA and community development associations/NGOs. » Contribution to policy formulation within its jurisdiction » Funding of water and sanitation programs within its ju- risdiction. » Monitoring and evaluation of water and sanitation con- ditions within its jurisdiction » Liaising with CDAs on water and sanitation issues » Institutional capacity building. » Payments of tariffs to the relevant agencies for public stand pipes within the locality of each LGA » Shall establish a viable sanitation unit within the water and environmental sanitation department charged with the responsibility of actualizing the policy objectives of 100% sanitation by the year 2030 at the LGA level » Shall provide technical assistance to households for the upgrading of sanitary facilities. » Shall engage in the training and capacity building of government personnel (environmental health officers, monitors, enforcers and administrators) and commu- nity artisans to be involved in water sanitation at the Local Government and community levels » Development of strategies for increased public aware- ness campaigns on water and sanitation » Effectively enforce relevant water and sanitation laws and regulation » Enactment of bye laws on sanitation towards manage- ment of newly emerging sanitation challenges » Collaboration with relevant state government agencies towards developing effective sanitation programs. » WASH officers shall visit Schools regularly to enforce Sanitary regulations » Development of Water Safety Plans in conjunction with the Community » Keep an inventory of water supply and sanitation facili- ties in all communities and » Monitor their operational/Functional status; » Test water quality of all new facilities using Bacto Kits; » Monitor the availability of spare parts; » Coordinate training of local area mechanics and latrine artisans; » Promote good hygiene and sanitation practices » Monitor sanitation coverage; » Encourage sanitation marketing and entrepre- neurs in the communities » Monitor capability and availability of mechanics and latrine artisans; » Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of hygiene education and promotion » Monitor functionality and use of water and sanita- tion facilities; WASH Policy 2019 69 s. Water Consumers Association » Liaise with the Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency for the development of water systems in small towns based on Demand Responsi- ve approach and community ownership and manage- ment. » Operate and maintain own water facility with support of contractors, Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency or trained members of the com- munity » Open own bank account of water supplies revenue col- lection » Collect revenue for initial investment, O&M and for replacement costs » Identify and contract maintenance personnel for their water facilities » Attend the opening of their own procurement tenders » Monitor and evaluate water supplies – post construc- tion » Maintenance of security of water schemes. » Development of Water Safety Plans in conjunction with LGAs and regular sanitary inspections of the water fa- cilities. t. Communities through the Community Development Associations (CDAs) shall be responsible for: » The management of water schemes in rural areas in conjunction with Local Government, RUWASSA and private sector. » Demanding water services as part of a demand -driven approach to water service delivery » Payments of tariffs » Counterpart funding as per cost sharing formula » Hygiene promotion » Maintenance of security of rural water schemes. » Local-level water management and environmental pro- tection » Budget tracking and reporting for accountability and transparency » Communities shall keep clean the protected area sur- rounding on-site drinking water systems » Social and cultural factors peculiar to each community shall be taken into consideration in arriving at a sanita- tion option preferred for the community u. NGOs, CSOs and CBOs » NGOs and CBOs will be encouraged to assist communities in mobilizing for sanitation related pro- grams and projects and will assist the relevant gover- nment agencies in the planning, funding and develop- ment of community-based sanitation infrastructure. » The ISWSC and other service providers should work in conjunction with CBOs, CSOs, WCFs and NGOs to- wards identifying customer needs and concerns, orga- nizing consultative forums to hold dialogues(Advocacy and civic engagement) with customers, institutionali- zing a customer feedback mechanism, and monitoring and evaluating water projects. » Successful NGOs and CBOs programs will be provi- ded incentives so as to help convert them into training centers for different sanitation related stakeholders. » NGOs and CBOs will be encouraged to help in the formation of Community Sanitation Vanguards/cham- pions and to guide them in formulating sanitation pro- jects. » CBOs and NGOs should work towards ensuring that service providers work towards granting the right to water and bring to the notice of appropriate Security and Judicial bodies, any infringement to the right for water. » CBOs and NGOs with the required capacity shall carry out consulting or contracting services on behalf of Wa- ter Service Providers v. Development partners: The roles of development partners shall include: » funding of projects for water and sanitation sector de- velopment » Capacity building » Resource mobilization » Monitoring and evaluation » Advocacy » Research and development and, where appropriate, facilitation of learning alliances » Guidance and planning, strategy implementation and review of policy targets. w. Private sector: » Provision of water supply through water sachets, table water, water kiosk, or water tankers. » Financing water infrastructure development through loans and funds » Capital investment for the construction of water works, dams, waste water and sanitation facilities through PPPs arrangements such as Management contracts or Build, Own and Operate contracts Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 70 » Conduct of studies for the development of the water and sanitation sector » Implementation of management and service responsi- bilities that may be outsourced by publicly owned wa- ter utilities through public private partnerships » Provision of alternative sources of power supply for existing water schemes. » Collection of tariffs for public or private water service providers » Collection and disposal of waste » Emergency water supplies using tankers or similar fa- cilities; or » Operation and maintenance of small-town scale wa- ter schemes such as boreholes at urban, small towns, local or community levels » Construction and Maintenance of sanitation facilities in public places through management contracts » Management of Sanitation centers » Financing water infrastructure and sanitation develop- ment and implementation of water and sanitation ser- vice delivery programs in urban, small town and rural areas. » Execution of contracts in the sector, such as drilling of boreholes, construction of dams, waste water plants and water schemes. » Provision of spare parts for the maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities x. Individual Households » Prompt payment of water rates for drinking water sour- ced from the public utilities » Each household shall take full responsibility for clea- ning his immediate environment and ensure proper di- sposal of the wastes thereof » Build latrines, keep the inside and surroundings of their property clean and not to dispose waste in the streets, storm water drains and public spaces. » They will also be encouraged to cooperate with go- vernments, NGOs/CBOs and with their neighbours to form community organizations that can promote sani- tation related programs and projects. » Each household/individual shall be available for health and hygiene Education » Individuals must recognize the dangers of breeding disease vectors in their environment and shall ensure prevention of such situation » Every household/individual shall observe accepted sa- nitation norms and sanctions for defaulting. 7.27. Role of the Media » Propagate built-in sanitation related messages in its entertainment programs and to develop educational programs on sanitation and health related issues. » Publish news and articles to make people aware of sa- nitation related issues and motivate them to improve sanitation and hygiene practices in their houses, neigh- borhoods and settlements through jingle, drama etc 7.28. Water Service Providers (WSPs) » Drinking water supplied by ISWSC and other water ser- vice providers shall comply with Nigerian Standards for Drinking Water Quality. » WSSPs shall: Request an authorization from the Minis- try of Health for the use of water for human consump- tion or for food processing. The authorization shall be issued when the following requirements are met: » Water quality comply with allowable limits » Construction requirements and water treatments are met » Minimum safe distance is observed around water points. » Operate and maintain water facilities in order to provide drinking water complying with standards. An internal routine water quality control shall be conducted, and water providers shall be equipped with minimum labo- ratory facilities to carry out routine water quality cont- rol. Results of internal routine water quality control shall be made available to Ministry of Water Resources and to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors. » Establish and implement a Water Safety Plan that in- cludes all measures undertaken to achieve NSDWQ » Facilitate the access of all water facilities to Drinking Water Quality Surveillance inspectors. » Inform Imo State Health Authorities in case of failure of water treatment process. » Provide regular update on water facilities characteri- stics and status to Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Health. » Drinking water providers shall increase the amount of residual chlorine during epidemics or special cases ac- cording to instructions of Ministry of Health. » Table Water Associations shall ensure the water pro- duced and offered for sale by their members meet the Nigerian Drinking Water Quality and their operations are registered by NAFDAC WASH Policy 2019 71 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 72 8.0. Legal Reform The following issues have legislative implication and may require some legislative arrangement in order to actualize the provisions of this Policy. • Draft and Enact a Water supply, Sanitation and Hygie- ne (WASH)Law. • It is essential to review the existing legislations impac- ting the state water and sanitation sector in order to de- velop for enactment by the state House of Assembly, a Law that adequately captures the changes and reform proposed in this Policy. • This law, to be known as Imo State Water Supply, Sa- nitation and Hygiene (WASH) Law will provide the legal framework for the sector. • The law shall make provisions that will enable gover- nment and all stakeholders in the sector to meet the objectives of this policy. • Establish Imo State Water Supply and Sewerage Regu- latory Commission (ISWRC). This agency shall play the role of regulating activities including approval of water tariff and rates as will be proposed by service provi- ders. ISWRC will also serve as the interface between service providers and customers and government on the other hand. The details of operations of this agency shall be spelt out in the proposed Imo State Water and Sanitation law. • Reposition Imo State Water Corporation. This will re- quire some amendments in the existing law that es- tablished the Imo State Water Corporation. The plan is to reposition, re-organize and give it autonomy to operate and function as a corporatized entity in part- nership with the private sector for system sustainability and improved service delivery to meet the objectives of this Policy. The required legal provisions in support of the reorganization shall be provided for in the proposed Imo State Water and Sanitation Law. • Conversion of IWADA to Small-Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STOWA) and Regularization of the staff. • Strengthening of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA). The required legal provisions for statutory establishment of STOWA and strengthening of RUWASSA shall be provided for in the proposed Imo State Water supply , Sanitation and Hygiene Law. • Establishment of Imo State Water and Sanitation Sec- tor steering Committee for effective coordination of the Water and Sanitation sector. This Committee shall bring together all relevant MDAs in water and sanitation sector. The proposed Imo State Water and Sanitation Law shall give legal backing to activities of this Com- mittee. • Rename Ministry of Public Utilities to be Ministry of Water Resources • Assist Local Government Areas in establishing Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Departments. Following these reforms, the key public sector institu- tions in the sector will be: • Ministry of Water Resources • Imo State Water and Sanitation Services Regulatory commission • Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation • Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STOWA) • Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) • State Water and Sanitation Sector Steering Coordinati- on Committee (inter-MDAs body) • Local Government Area Water Sanitation and Hygiene Departments (LGA WASH Dept/Unit) WASH Policy 2019 73 Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 74 9.0. Sector Financing Options 9.1. Funding Sources Funding for the development of the water supply and sani- tation sector in the state shall generally come from the fol- lowing sources: a. The Federal Government of Nigeria acting through budgetary allocations b. The Imo State Government acting through budgetary allocations and counterpart contribution. c. Local Governments in the state. d. Household, Commercial and Industrial consumers th- rough payment of tariffs. e. Informal suppliers, such as water vendors operating boreholes, water tankers etc. f. Private companies, either local or foreign through Build, Operate and Transfer Contracts or Concessions. g. Individuals or Charities. h. Non-governmental organizations raising funds from private contributions or grants from national or interna- tional agencies. i. Benefiting communities through participatory invest- ment or Community financed projects. j. Local or International Financial institutions offering short-term, medium-term loans. k. International grants from External Support Agencies. 9.2. Cost Recovery 9.2.1. Capital projects of the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation shall be contributed jointly by the Federal and State Government while capital projects of the Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, and the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency shall be funded by participatory investment of the Federal Government, the State Local Government and benefitting communities. 9.2.2. Operation and maintenance cost, the Imo State Wa- ter and Sewerage Corporation, the Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency would aim for revenue enough to cover their recurrent costs (operating and main- tenance) and they should develop sustainable long-term cost recovery policies, anticipating all future cash flow needs. 9.2.3. In the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, upon completion the projects will be handed over to the community for effective management. 9.2. Tariffs 9.2.1. All water supply connections in urban areas shall be metered starting with Industrial and commercial customers to household customers. 9.2.2. All water supply to public places in the semi urban areas shall be metered starting with schools, banks, indus- tries, hotels, hospitals etc 9.2.3. The Tariffs of the Imo State Water and Sewerage Cor- poration shall cover operation and maintenance cost and shall be determined by the State Water Supply Regulatory Commission as proposed by the ISWSC. WASH Policy 2019 75 9.3. Cost Sharing formula Cost Sharing for Capital Investment -Water Supply Agency Rural Water Supply Small Towns Water Supply Urban Water Supply Federal Govt. 50% 50% 30% State Government 25% 30% 60% Local Government 20% 15% 10% Community 5% 5% Nil Cost Sharing for O & M- Water Supply Agency Rural Water Supply Small Towns Water Supply Urban Water Supply Low tech High tech Federal Govt. NIL Nil Nil State Government Nil Nil 80% - To be recovered from IGR sourced from Tariffs 80% - To be recovered from IGR sourced from Tariffs Local Government 20%- Payments of tariffs of Public taps 20% Payments of tariffs of Public taps 20%- Payments of tariffs of Public taps 20%- Payments of tariffs of Public taps Community 80% 80% - To be recovered from IGR sourced from Tariffs Nil Nil Cost Sharing For Capital Investment –Sanitation Agency Rural Water Supply Small Towns Water Supply Urban Water Supply State Government 75% 80% 90% Local Government 20% 15% 10% Community 5% 5% Nil Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 76 WASH Policy 2019 77 10. Conclusion. This Water and Sanitation Policy is only a first step in the process of achieving water supply, sanitation and hygiene services delivery targets. The Policy will be supported with necessary legislation to facilitate implementation and sub- sequent achievement of Policy targets. This may be done through enactment of necessary amendments and addi- tions to existing laws and regulations. Prior to Policy implementation, there is a critical need for baseline survey to determine or validate the present water and sanitation coverage in the State. The survey will cover an audit of water and sanitation infrastructure including the condition of each infrastructure in terms of its functionality. This will provide the basis for determining the infrastructure required for achieving water and sanitation coverage tar- gets on an annual basis. An assessment of the capacity of the institutions respon- sible for sector activities is necessary to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each institution and to de- velop a comprehensive organizational development plan that keeps in focus the policy thrust. The Policy will benefit from a State-wide enlightenment campaigns to empower the public to demand water and sanitation services delivery in line with coverage targets each year. The way ahead for implementing the Policy involves several steps some of which can be carried out at the same time. These steps include: a. Establishment of wide political support for the Policy that eventually leads to ratification. b. Wider consultation amongst stakeholders at all levels with the aim of removing gaps and weaknesses. c. The operation of a carefully-targeted awareness with the aim of obtaining popular support for the new Policy. d. Development of investment plan for the sector. e. Development of implementation guidelines for the po- licy. f. Use of the Policy to leverage funds from Federal Gover- nment and donor agencies. g. Pilot-test the concepts and mechanisms proposed in the Policy as part of a learning process for the institu- tions to be involved in policy implementation, monito- ring and evaluation. h. Development of detailed capacity building and change management plans including staff motivation. i. Periodic review of the Policy to keep the sector abreast of relevant national and international developments. Immediate Implementation Steps. In order to implement this policy, the State Government will focus on the following key measures over the next five ye- ars: 1. Completion of the Institutional Framework; (institutio- nal re-organization, the realignment of roles and res- ponsibilities, staff recruitment and repositioning, capa- city building and skill development for effective sector service delivery). 2. Amendment of legislation; (review of existing legal fra- mework for the sector; The Water Supply and Sanitati- on Law will make provisions for these reform elements). 3. Planning priority measures and Guidance on project implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation. 4. Financial support and provisions Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy 78 Activities to attain Policy Goals The Imo State WASH Policy will guide the preparation and review of strategic plans, conservation and management plans and any other relevant plans and regulations for the development and the management of the WASH sector within the State. The Policy implementation will be carried out through the formulation of local planning strategies organizational restructuring plans and the consideration of proposals for urban, small towns and rural development together with the collaboration and advice of other relevant Agencies. Medium Term Activities-Immediate to 5 years Short Term Activity The development and implementation of the water sector management strategy and plans. Short Term Activity 2 Water Resources within the State should be mapped to allow for planning and forecast of use of the water resources. Short Term Activity 3 The corporatization of the Imo State Water and Sewage Corporation should commence to allow for the concentration on the urban areas. The Corporation will be required to operate on the commercial principles of customer orientation. Short Term Activity 4 Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and sanitation Agency should be established, to allow for the provision of water supply to the semi urban areas and the participation of the stakeholders. Short Term Activity 5 The RUWASSA should be allowed for sustainable development and operation of water supply, sanitation and hygiene services to rural areas and participation of stakeholders. WASH Policy 2019 79 A Commission for Water Regulatory functions to be set up to drive improvement within the Water Sector by implementing a program of policy, regulatory and institutional reform. This will provide protection to consumers, operators and prospective PPP investors by putting in place an open and transparent process. In particular, the Regulatory Commission will be concerned with ascertaining adequacy of the standards of the water services to be supplied and the monitor of compliance with same. It will carry out Economic and Technical Regulation of water supply services and enforce compliance with its regulations and standards. Short Term Activity 6 Short Term Activity 7 Redesign of water pipeline network to allow for water to be supplied while some other areas undergo construction or rehabilitation. Short Term Activity 8 Survey and licensing of boreholes and septic tanks to be carried out. This will allow for a report on the location of the boreholes and water quality assessment. This will monitor borehole license compliance. It will also form a planning tool for revenue generation Imo State Water and Sewage Corporation (ISWSC) to potential consumers’ “ability and willingness to pay ” for its water supply service and subsequently to reduction in subsidies over a few years. Revenue generation exercise is to commence once the Imo state Water and Sewage Corporation has started water any provision for covering the shortfall for sustainability of service. The water supply service delivery as currently undertaken in the State is far from being sustainable. Revenue generation from urban water supply (which s hould ordinarily provide necessary funds to operate and maintain the system) is almost non-existent. Revenue has been derived only from satellite borehole sale of water to water tankers over the last few years. Short Term Activity 9 Medium Term Activities-Immediate to 5 years Medium to Long Term Activity-5 to 10 years Review of Imo State Water Policy 2019 in line with future technological and economic developments. Long Term Development Goals The Water demand projection implies significant capital requirements for infrastructure expansion, estimated to be in the range of Five Hundred Billion – One trillion Naira per year over the next 11 years Short Term Activity 11 Baseline data gathering for all LGAs to determine service delivery. Short Term Activity 10 WASH Sector Steering Committee to be inaugurated. The contributions of the External Support Agencies, Development Partners, INGOs and other stakeholders active in the sector need to be structured to work in a coordinated manner. Medium Term Activities-Immediate to 5 years Imo State Ministry of Water Resources Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene(WASH) Policy WASH POLICY 2019