ABSTRACT
According to 1991 data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (1991), domestic and municipal water accounts for 7 per cent of total withdrawals although usage is substantially higher in developed countries. The energy and industrial sectors in developed countries account for 40-80 per cent, whereas it is only a few per cent in developing countries. Given a typical cost of US$120 per person served by household reticulation in developing countries (Cairncross 1990), a cheaper alternative is the public stand-pipe. Savings not only occur with respect to lowered costs for the distribution system itself, but also mainly because households relying on public access consume far less water than do those with private connections.
