Sustainable Management of the Drinking Water Supply Service in the Abiergue Watershed (Yaoundé, Cameroon)

The performance of drinking water supply service (DWSS) is a major concern for urban management policies in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 2005s, the management of urban and peri-urban drinking water supply service in Cameroon has been gradually entrusted to the Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation (CAMWATER), which is responsible for planning, investment, and technical oversight of the distribution network. CAMWATER faces significant challenges in meeting its service delivery objectives. This study aims to assess the performance of the public drinking water supply service provided by the Yaoundé Agglomeration Regional Directorate (YARD) of CAMWATER within the Abiergue watershed. The research is based on a methodology combining field surveys, interviews with local stakeholders, and the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to weight performance indicators. The performance evaluation of the drinking water service provided by CAMWATER in the Abiergue watershed was conducted along two complementary dimensions: qualitative performance and quantitative performance. The qualitative performance aimed to provide subscribers with better-quality service. It was assessed using two criteria based on a set of twelve indicators. These include, on the one hand, the physicochemical quality of the distributed water measured by Potential of Hydrogen (PH), turbidity, iron, manganese, color, and residual chlorine and, on the other hand, the bacteriological quality, assessed through the presence of Escherichia coli, coliform bacteria, intestinal enterococci, sulfate-reducing anaerobic bacteria, and revivable microorganisms at 22°C and 37°C. As for the quantitative performance, its goal was to ensure that subscribers receive an adequate quantity of water. This was evaluated using a single criterion composed of three indicators: daily service duration, frequency of unplanned water outages, and average daily per capita water allocation. The results reveal a satisfactory performance in terms of water quality (95%) but highlight significant weaknesses in quantitative supply (68%). The study recommends the following actions: strengthening local governance of water services by involving municipalities and users in planning and monitoring processes; implementing a proactive maintenance strategy targeting areas prone to losses and service disruptions; promoting more equitable service distribution, especially in often-marginalized peri-urban neighborhoods; and conducting regular performance evaluations using context-specific indicators and periodic audits.