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Communal Standpipes
Communal standpipes are placed along roads and in public places. Householders bring
their containers to the standpipe. They fill them and carry them home. Research has shown
that the biggest limitation to consumption is the physical act of carrying water to the house.
As a result only between 100 and 125 litres are utilised, per household, per day.
To dispense water to the consumer, a communal standpipe can be fitted with the following
technologies:
A normal tap that the householder can open or close. There is no limitation to the
amount of water released.
A push button tap that releases a set amount of water e.g. push button taps in
Durban that release exactly 25 litres of water.
A mechanical pre-payment dispensing metre. A token is inserted, which allows
for the release of a set amount of water, from a holding tank in the meter.
A tap with an electrical pre-payment dispensing meter. A coupon is inserted.
The water flows until the credits are exhausted, or the tap is closed.
This technology dispenses the exact amount of water required.
The advantages and disadvantages of the different technologies are discussed below.
Normal Tap
There is no control over how much a consumer can use. The potential for water wastage
is high. Community members need to bear the responsibility of ensuring that taps are turned
off correctly. Some communities deal with the issue of water wastage, by locking their
standpipes, and only opening them at certain times of the day.
However, the consumption of water is generally low if water wastage is dealt with effectively.
Normal tap technology is cheap. It is easy to install and easy to maintain. Outside intervention may be required for installation of standpipes but the community can manage
on-going operation and maintenance.
Push Button Tap
There is some control over how much a consumer can use. The potential for water wastage
is lower with this option, only a set amount of water is released. If people do not have the
correct size container water may be wasted, but research has shown that this is less than
if taps are left open. The technology is cheap, easy to install, and easy to maintain.
Outside intervention may be required for installation of standpipes. However, the
community can manage on-going operation and maintenance.
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Introductory Guide to Appropriate Solutions for Water Supply and Sanitation