BetaBetaDataset
To provide standardized financial and service delivery data for assessing the performance of publicly managed rural piped water systems in Ghana and supporting comparison and benchmarking of rural water services.
The data addresses the limited availability of reliable, publicly accessible data on the financial and operational performance of rural piped water systems in sub-Saharan Africa. It forms part of Aquaya's Economics of Rural Water Supply study, which examines approaches for improving the financial and operational performance of rural piped water systems in Ghana. The broader study includes performance benchmarking and a pilot of performance-based funding mechanisms.
The dataset contains annual system-level information for 39 publicly managed rural piped water systems in Ghana, describing their performance during 2023. Variables cover system characteristics and infrastructure, including construction year, estimated population and people served, staffing, water and power sources, treatment, storage, and types and numbers of water connections. Operational and service-delivery indicators include annual water production and consumption, frequency of water supply, customer distribution schedules, volume of water supplied per person, functional connections per 1,000 people, population served, and reported chlorination. Financial indicators include revenue from water sales and other sources, billed revenue, revenue collection efficiency, operating expenditure, operating cost recovery, and the largest contributor to the financial deficit.
Data were collected in 2024 through field visits, record reviews, and interviews with water system personnel. The indicators contained in this dataset reflect system performance during calendar year 2023. Information was compiled from administrative, financial, operational, and technical records maintained by participating water systems. Following data collection, Aquaya conducted extensive data cleaning, validation, and quality assurance procedures before anonymization and public release.