Operations Maintenance
Development of school sanitation systems focuses resources more on design and build with little or no resources allocated for operations and maintenance, often with disastrous consequences.
Getting O&M right
The efficiency and longevity (lifespan) of school sanitation facilities are determined by their operations and maintenance (O&M) regimen. Misuse, neglect and irregular maintenance can cause latrines to overflow, incur high renovation costs and cause disease outbreaks.
Unlike building and design, O&M gets little or no attention and is often the reason for the breakdown of the school sanitation systems.
Poor O&M also arises from
- Lack of ownership
- Lack of skilled labour
- Lack of delegated responsibility
- High operating costs
- Excessive repair and replacement expenses.
Sustainable O&M, however, requires careful planning and adequate resources to implement O&M. Who should fund sanitation O&M and how, receives far less attention than its design and construction (Sohail, 2001).
School sanitation O&M falls under the following categories;
- Day-to-day maintenance;
- Utilities (water sewage and electricity),;
- Minor repairs (leaking roof and broken doors); and,
- Major repairs (storm damage and replacement).
Public health and sanitation departments are usually charged with earmarking funds for O&M for public schools but with budget shortfalls, only a fraction of available funds are allocated for O&M.
Schools can raise funds for O&M (paying for cleaners and cleaning supplies) by engaging in revenue-generating activities like resource recovery. Schools can also raise revenue for O&M by charging parents a nominal fee for minor repairs of sanitation facilities. For instance, Kalungu High School in Uganda operates a successful O&M system by generating additional revenue from billing parents of students.
One other alternative is for schools to form a group to seek credit facilities to support O&M for major repairs, for instance, after a major weather event like a storm.