This paper presents the recurrent costs of rural water services in four local government areas in Mali supported by WaterAid, based on an analysis of data from 2008 to 2011, and examines how these costs are shared between different actors. The actual expenditures observed are also compared with the costs suggested as necessary by national policy and international benchmarks to provide basic sustainable rural water services. Three key lessons are identified. Firstly, operational and minor maintenance and capital maintenance contributions from users are lower than national policy and international benchmarks recommend and should be more closely monitored to understand if users are able and willing to contribute more. Secondly, the definition and responsibility for paying capital maintenance expenditure requires greater clarity. Thirdly, WaterAid and other actors could explore whether the use of municipal WASH Technical Units to support community management could be scaled-up at a lower unit cost by sharing staff and costs across multiple local government areas.

Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique (DNH) (2003) Principes Directeurs pour la Gestion des Pompes à Motricité Humaine, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2007) Stratégie Nationale de Développement de l’Alimentation en Eau Potable au Mali, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2010) Rapport d’activités de la Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique au titre de l’année 2009, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

Faggianelli, D., Kouvahey, N. and Amar Touré, A. (2009) Etude Concernant l’Evolution Future du Système STEFI: Rapport Final, Bamako, Mali: DNH and GTZ.

Fonseca, C., Franceys, R., Batchelor, C., McIntyre, P., Klutse, A., Komives, K., Moriarty, P., Naafs, A., Nyarko, K., Pezon, C., Potter, A., Reddy, R. and Snehalatha, M. (2011) WASHCost Briefing Note 1a - Life-cycle costs approach: Costing sustainable services, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Lockwood, H. and Smits, S. (2011) Supporting Rural Water Supply: Moving towards a Service Delivery Approach, Rugby: Practical Action Publishing.

Moriarty, P. (2010) Ladders for Assessing and Water Service Delivery, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2009) Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective on Pricing and Financing - Key Messages for Policy Makers, Paris: OECD.

Pezon, C. and Bassono, R. (2012) Le coût des systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau potable au Burkina Faso: une application de l’approche des coûts à long terme, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Reddy, V.R., Rao, M.S.R. and Venkataswamy, M. (2010) ‘Slippage’: The Bane of Rural Drinking Water Sector (A Study of Extent and Causes in Andhra Pradesh), Hyderabad: WASHCost India and Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

Smits, S., Verhoeven, J., Moriarty, P., Fonseca, C. and Lockwood, H. (2011) Arrangements and Cost of Providing Support to Rural Water Service Providers, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

WASHCost (2012) Providing a Basic Level of Water and Sanitation Services that Last: Cost Benchmarks, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre for the WASHCost Project.

WaterAid (2011) Sustainability Framework, London: WaterAid.

WHO/UNICEF (2012) Estimates for the Use of Improved Drinking-Water Sources: Mali, Geneva: WHO/New York: UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme.

Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique (DNH) (2003) Principes Directeurs pour la Gestion des Pompes à Motricité Humaine, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2007) Stratégie Nationale de Développement de l’Alimentation en Eau Potable au Mali, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2010) Rapport d’activités de la Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique au titre de l’année 2009, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

Faggianelli, D., Kouvahey, N. and Amar Touré, A. (2009) Etude Concernant l’Evolution Future du Système STEFI: Rapport Final, Bamako, Mali: DNH and GTZ.

Fonseca, C., Franceys, R., Batchelor, C., McIntyre, P., Klutse, A., Komives, K., Moriarty, P., Naafs, A., Nyarko, K., Pezon, C., Potter, A., Reddy, R. and Snehalatha, M. (2011) WASHCost Briefing Note 1a - Life-cycle costs approach: Costing sustainable services, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Lockwood, H. and Smits, S. (2011) Supporting Rural Water Supply: Moving towards a Service Delivery Approach, Rugby: Practical Action Publishing.

Moriarty, P. (2010) Ladders for Assessing and Water Service Delivery, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2009) Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective on Pricing and Financing - Key Messages for Policy Makers, Paris: OECD.

Pezon, C. and Bassono, R. (2012) Le coût des systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau potable au Burkina Faso: une application de l’approche des coûts à long terme, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Reddy, V.R., Rao, M.S.R. and Venkataswamy, M. (2010) ‘Slippage’: The Bane of Rural Drinking Water Sector (A Study of Extent and Causes in Andhra Pradesh), Hyderabad: WASHCost India and Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

Smits, S., Verhoeven, J., Moriarty, P., Fonseca, C. and Lockwood, H. (2011) Arrangements and Cost of Providing Support to Rural Water Service Providers, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

WASHCost (2012) Providing a Basic Level of Water and Sanitation Services that Last: Cost Benchmarks, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre for the WASHCost Project.

WaterAid (2011) Sustainability Framework, London: WaterAid.

WHO/UNICEF (2012) Estimates for the Use of Improved Drinking-Water Sources: Mali, Geneva: WHO/New York: UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme.

Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique (DNH) (2003) Principes Directeurs pour la Gestion des Pompes à Motricité Humaine, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2007) Stratégie Nationale de Développement de l’Alimentation en Eau Potable au Mali, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2010) Rapport d’activités de la Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique au titre de l’année 2009, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

Faggianelli, D., Kouvahey, N. and Amar Touré, A. (2009) Etude Concernant l’Evolution Future du Système STEFI: Rapport Final, Bamako, Mali: DNH and GTZ.

Fonseca, C., Franceys, R., Batchelor, C., McIntyre, P., Klutse, A., Komives, K., Moriarty, P., Naafs, A., Nyarko, K., Pezon, C., Potter, A., Reddy, R. and Snehalatha, M. (2011) WASHCost Briefing Note 1a - Life-cycle costs approach: Costing sustainable services, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Lockwood, H. and Smits, S. (2011) Supporting Rural Water Supply: Moving towards a Service Delivery Approach, Rugby: Practical Action Publishing.

Moriarty, P. (2010) Ladders for Assessing and Water Service Delivery, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2009) Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective on Pricing and Financing - Key Messages for Policy Makers, Paris: OECD.

Pezon, C. and Bassono, R. (2012) Le coût des systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau potable au Burkina Faso: une application de l’approche des coûts à long terme, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Reddy, V.R., Rao, M.S.R. and Venkataswamy, M. (2010) ‘Slippage’: The Bane of Rural Drinking Water Sector (A Study of Extent and Causes in Andhra Pradesh), Hyderabad: WASHCost India and Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

Smits, S., Verhoeven, J., Moriarty, P., Fonseca, C. and Lockwood, H. (2011) Arrangements and Cost of Providing Support to Rural Water Service Providers, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

WASHCost (2012) Providing a Basic Level of Water and Sanitation Services that Last: Cost Benchmarks, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre for the WASHCost Project.

WaterAid (2011) Sustainability Framework, London: WaterAid.

WHO/UNICEF (2012) Estimates for the Use of Improved Drinking-Water Sources: Mali, Geneva: WHO/New York: UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme.

Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique (DNH) (2003) Principes Directeurs pour la Gestion des Pompes à Motricité Humaine, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2007) Stratégie Nationale de Développement de l’Alimentation en Eau Potable au Mali, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

DNH (2010) Rapport d’activités de la Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique au titre de l’année 2009, Bamako, Mali: DNH.

Faggianelli, D., Kouvahey, N. and Amar Touré, A. (2009) Etude Concernant l’Evolution Future du Système STEFI: Rapport Final, Bamako, Mali: DNH and GTZ.

Fonseca, C., Franceys, R., Batchelor, C., McIntyre, P., Klutse, A., Komives, K., Moriarty, P., Naafs, A., Nyarko, K., Pezon, C., Potter, A., Reddy, R. and Snehalatha, M. (2011) WASHCost Briefing Note 1a - Life-cycle costs approach: Costing sustainable services, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Lockwood, H. and Smits, S. (2011) Supporting Rural Water Supply: Moving towards a Service Delivery Approach, Rugby: Practical Action Publishing.

Moriarty, P. (2010) Ladders for Assessing and Water Service Delivery, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2009) Managing Water for All: An OECD Perspective on Pricing and Financing - Key Messages for Policy Makers, Paris: OECD.

Pezon, C. and Bassono, R. (2012) Le coût des systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau potable au Burkina Faso: une application de l’approche des coûts à long terme, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

Reddy, V.R., Rao, M.S.R. and Venkataswamy, M. (2010) ‘Slippage’: The Bane of Rural Drinking Water Sector (A Study of Extent and Causes in Andhra Pradesh), Hyderabad: WASHCost India and Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

Smits, S., Verhoeven, J., Moriarty, P., Fonseca, C. and Lockwood, H. (2011) Arrangements and Cost of Providing Support to Rural Water Service Providers, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.

WASHCost (2012) Providing a Basic Level of Water and Sanitation Services that Last: Cost Benchmarks, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre for the WASHCost Project.

WaterAid (2011) Sustainability Framework, London: WaterAid.

WHO/UNICEF (2012) Estimates for the Use of Improved Drinking-Water Sources: Mali, Geneva: WHO/New York: UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme.