REAL-Water receives additional research request

The USAID funded REAL-Water research initiative is initiating a new study on the “Lifecycle Cost and Affordability of On-premises Water Services in Rural and Small Town Settings”. This study is supported by USAID’s Bureau for Global Health and will provide evidence that guides the implementation of piped water connections in low-resource areas. The research approach will be based upon an economic analysis of water service delivery in rural communities, including rural growth centers and small towns. The research activities will address four main topics:

1. The household-level benefits associated with shared and private on-premises water connections
2. The costs of providing and maintaining shared and private on-premises water connections as borne by governments, utilities, and/or other implementers
3. The affordability of shared and private on-premises water connections
4. The political economy of rural water development