Water vendor / kiosk

Description  

Water vendors sell water either from a kiosk or distribute it door-to-door. The water might originate either from a piped distribution point (e.g. a public standpost) or from a river or well (combined with some treatment facility). Distribution transport can be a truck, but mostly manual or animal-driven vehicles.

Financial  

Water vendors make profit of selling water, but in many cases the revenues are low. Examples are known of people working many hours a week and still earning below the poverty line. Investment costs are low to medium. Water price for the users is commonly high.

Institutional  

Water vendors and kiosk are often informal. Water kiosks might be under responsibility of water supply company. One vendor or kiosk might reach a group of households or a small community. Not much external support is required.

Environmental  

Water vendors might be important in dry periods, they might bring water from alternative water sources which are far from peoples’ houses. The water might be of bad quality and it is likely that there is no water quality control.

Techical  

Low-tech option. Includes kiosk or transport material, easy to realize. Larger materials, like a truck, require more investment. Amount of water to be carried at a time depends on transport material. Taps, bicycle, cart and containers need maintenance or replacement only occasionally. Containers need to be clean and not used for other purposes.

Social

Users might be open for this option, since it brings water nearer to them. For the vendors themselves, water kiosk is convenient but door-to-door distribution is quite heavy. Pain in chest and joints has been recorded. Water is often expensive.

Relevant remarks:

No relevant remarks for Water vendor / kiosk.