In 2004, a public water kiosk was built in Bessengué Akwa, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Doula, Cameroon. The multifunctional kiosk also serves as a meeting place and houses a general store. The price for 20 litres of water is just under five US dollar cents (three eurocents), which is half the price that the community used to pay before. Revenue from the kiosk is divided equally between the kiosk manager, the water company and the local water committee. The kiosk cost around 2.6 million CFA francs (US$ 6,300 = EUR 4,000) was funded by the European Union and the French Institut Régional de Coopération Développement in the region of Alsace.

The Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Corporation (DAWASCO), in Tanzania, has extended water provision to unserved areas, by building dozens of water kiosks. Hundreds more are planned, although many are plagued with erratic water supplies. The going rate for a 20-litre canister of water at one of the kiosks is just four US dollar cents (2.6 eurocents) apiece, which is four times less than charged by water vendors, but still more than four times the price of piped water. A family of five, dependent on water vendors, could spend up to about 84 US dollar cents (54 eurocents) a day on water.

Related web sites:

• IRCDOC - list of reports on water kiosks
• BPD - SSP (Small Scale Providers) Internet Resource Base

Source: IRIN, 20 May 2008 ; Sarah McGregor, IPS, 27 May 2008