The quality and coverage of sanitation services by most African operators are inadequate because of poor skills in management, operation and maintenance of sanitation systems. This situation is worsened by fast population growth and sprawling, uncontrolled urbanization. More than 65% of households in Sub-Saharan cities are not connected to a sewer system, and the resulting production of fecal sludge must be treated to deter significant health threats.

The WOP (Water Operators’ Partnerships) approach, launched by the African Water Association (AfWA), fosters capacity building and knowledge sharing through water and sanitation operator partnerships to improve access to drinking water and sanitation services in Africa. The WOP approach has shown that best practices can be quickly and efficiently spread across African utilities and municipalities to improve urban sanitation.

However, only four of the 17 partnerships were focused on sanitation. During the WOP program evaluation, stakeholders agreed that specific partnerships on sustainable sanitation should be promoted, focusing on non-sewer and fecal sludge management (FSM) in urban areas.