The Region has been delivering on its mandate for 26 years and has led to a massive increase in the provision of water and sanitation facilities in rural communities. This achievement notwithstanding the issues of sustainability of the services provided have made it imperative to review its modus operandi with the aim of re-positioning itself to be relevant and more effective in the sector. The Community Operations and Management (COM) concept was to ensure sustainability however, the concept has faced some difficulties. It has become necessary for CWSA to manage and operate the water systems directly.

As a result of numerous research findings which pointed to the weaknesses in community management of the water systems and its threats to sustainability, it became clear that despite the achievement in water service delivery there was a need to review the approach.

The outcome of this research clearly indicated that community management was no longer the approach to use hence the reform in the rural water sector in which CWSA will take the necessary steps to transform the sector and make improvement in water delivery services in all communities and create jobs. The reform is projected to improve the provision of water to small town and rural communities.

• Professionalize the operation and management of small towns piped water systems
• Improve on the operational efficiency of small towns piped water systems
• Mobilize revenue from water system management for maintenance, expansion and construction of new facilities
• Increase access and deliver on-premise water service towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6
• Create jobs for water management professionals. Adopt state-of-the-art technology to address the challenges of water quality, high energy consumption and non-revenue water
• Create a support mechanism for sustained operation and maintenance of point water systems
• Improve access to water related Sanitation and Hygiene Services to maximize health benefits