Connection procedures

Specifications of conditions for water connections.

DESCRIPTION

Transparent connection procedures entail open, predictable, clear, understandable and visible disclosure of information, rules, plans, processes and actions regarding water connections.¹

PURPOSE & LINK TO INTEGRITY

Restricted transparency at the interface between utilities and consumers can threaten both the economic viability of service providers and the sustainability of water resources management in general.² Increased transparency can help to prevent fraudulent activities between utilities and users such as:²

• Bribery to prevent law enforcement, to enhance the content of user licences or to install illegal connections
• Raised water charges
• Corruption regarding payment, access or connection speed.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Does your organization have standard operating procedures or job descriptions in place that the connection process has to be aligned with? (See also tools Standard operating procedures and Job descriptions)

HOW TO

Measures to increase transparency may involve:^2,3

• Simplifying the application procedure for water licences
• Publishing or providing access to the register of water users and annual reports
• Strengthening complaint systems
• Publishing standard consumer fees and information about user rights
• Clearly defining periods between applications, purchases and effecting of new connections.

KEY GUIDING DOCUMENTS

U4, 2009, Not so petty. Corruption risks in payment and licensing systems for water, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre (U4), Norway

CER, no year, Code of Practice on Disconnection, Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), Ireland

Plainview Water District, 2013, Procedures for Service Disconnections, Plainview Water District, USA

FURTHER  READINGS

WASREB, no year, Model Water services Regulations, Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB), Kenya

FULL REFERENCES

1. TI, 2009, The Anti-Corruption Plain Language Guide, 2009, Transparency International (TI), Germany, http://issuu.com/transparencyinternational/docs/ti_plain_language_guide?e=2496456/2028282, accessed 07.12.2015
2. U4, 2009, Not so petty. Corruption risks in payment and licensing systems for water, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre (U4), Norway, http://www.u4.no/publications/not-so-petty-corruption-risks-in-payment-and-licensing-systems-for-water/, accessed 07.12.2015
3. GIZ, 2012, Report of the Water Integrity Training for Private Water Operators and Staff of the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Association of Private Water Operators (APWO), Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda, http://www.wave-water.net/fileadmin/GOOD-PRACTICES/HCD/downloads/WI/extern/report_WIWS_uganda_2012.pdf, accessed 07.12.2015