International definitions of access to drinking water and sanitation

MDG Target 7c calls on countries to "Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking-water and basic sanitation." The official MDG indicators to measure and report on progress towards this target are the following:

-  The proportion of population using an improved drinking water source, urban and rural

-  The proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility, urban and rural.

An improved drinking-water source is defined as one that, by nature of its construction or through active intervention, is protected from outside contamination, in particular from contamination with faecal matter. To allow for international comparability of estimates, the JMP uses the following classification to differentiate between "improved" and "unimproved" drinking-water sources.

Improved drinking water sources / Unimproved drinking water sources
Piped water into dwelling, plot or yard
Piped water into neighbor’s plot
Public tap/standpipe
Tubewell/borehole
Protected dug well
Protected spring
Rainwater / Unprotected dug well
Unprotected spring
Small cart with tank/drum
Tanker truck
Surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, channel, irrigation channel)
Bottled water[1]

An improved sanitation facility is defined as one that hygienically separates human excreta from human contact. To allow for international comparability of estimates, JMP uses the following classification to differentiate between "improved" and "unimproved" types of sanitation facilities.

Improved sanitation facilities / Unimproved sanitation facilities
Flush or pour-flush to:
-  piped sewer system
-  septic tank
-  pit latrine
Ventilated improved pit latrine (VIP)
Pit latrine with slab
Composting toilet / Flush or pour-flush to elsewhere [2]
Pit latrine without slab or open pit
Bucket
Hanging toilet or hanging latrine
No facilities or bush or field (open defecation)
Public or shared sanitation facilities

National definitions and indicators of access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

(please complete or attach)

Access to drinking water / Access to sanitation
General description:
Improved drinking water sources includes:
- household water connection
- protected spring
- rainwater collection / General description:
Improved sanitation includes:
- latrine to piped sewerage
- septic tank
- pit

Calculation of coverage estimates for MDG monitoring by the WHO/UNICEF JMP

1990, 2000 and 2006 coverage estimates are based on nationally representative survey and census data. These data are plotted on a time scale and a linear regression line, based on the least squares method is drawn through the data points. If data for urban and rural areas are available, the least square methods is applied to those and then the total coverage estimates are obtained by using population weights. The coverage estimates are derived from the linear regression line as shown below:


Explanation of most common discrepancies between national and international coverage estimates

1)  Use of different definitions of access including poorly defined access categories

2)  Use of latest survey or census findings vs. use of an interpolated estimates based on linear regression

3)  Use of different population estimates, including a different distribution of urban and rural populations

4)  Use of “old” estimates which do not reflect all, or the latest findings of new sample surveys or a new census

5)  Use of “reported” line ministry data vs. use of independently verifiable data from sample surveys or censuses

Adjustments made by JMP to census and sample survey findings to ensure comparability

Censuses and sample surveys often do not provide a sufficient level of disaggregation by type of drinking water source or sanitation facility used. Sometimes a facility type is not well defined and interpretation of whether or not such facility is improved is difficult. Based on other surveys on file the JMP estimates what proportion of such poorly defined categories should be considered improved. For Tunisia this has been done in the following instance(s):

Survey / Facility type / Adjustments made by JMP
Nutrition survey 2002 / Cesspool / It is not clear if ‘cesspool’ meet the minimum requirement of a improved sanitation facility that hygienically separates human waste from human contact. For MDG monitoring 50% of the cesspool have been considered improved and 50% unimproved . It is suggested to replace the category ‘cesspool’ in future surveys by two categories: ‘pour flush latrine with slab’ and ‘pour flush latrine without a slab’
All / All / The two surveys and one census on file show a very steep declining trend. Part of the trend is caused by the three data points being within a five year period. For MDG monitoring the three data points have been averaged as there were concerns about the comparability of the two surveys and census on file, thereby avoiding reporting a steep downward trend on sanitation.

Clarification of service categories required to improve international monitoring

Water / Sanitation / Category
√ / Cesspool / There is a need to clearly define cesspool as the Nutrition Survey 2002 found 91.5% of rural people using a cesspool. disaggregating this category in more facilities would increase the specificity

Other household surveys and census data on file but not taken into account for MDG monitoring

Survey/Census / Reason for exclusion for MDG monitoring / Water / Sanitation

Other nationally representative household surveys and census data not listed previously

Survey or census data not yet included for MDG monitoring by the WHO/UNICEF JMP / Year
HES / 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008


National drinking water estimates and targets International original sources

Drinking water coverage / Data source / Discrepancies? Causes? / Data source / Drinking water coverage
Year / Total / Total / Year
1997 / Census / U=98 R=91 / 1997
1998 / 95.5 a / HES / Country data levels higher than those of JMP estimates. Discrepancy due to the use of different units: country uses % of households while JMP uses % of population. / 1998
1999 / 99.4 a / HES / 1999
2000 / Health survey / U=97 R=86 / 2000
2002 / Nutrition survey / U=92 R=90 / 2002
2003 / 99.7 a / HES / 2003
2004 / 99.7 a / HES / 2004
2005 / 99.2 a / HES / MICS / U=88 R=45 / 2005
2006 / 98.4 a / HES / 2006
2008 / 97.2a / HES / 2008
MDG target (2015) / 98% / MDG target (2015)
National target Year / 2015 / Global target Year

a Percentage of households. U, urban; R, rural.

HES = Household environmental survey

National sanitation coverage estimates and targets International original sources

Sanitation coverage / Data source / Discrepancies? Causes? / Data source / Sanitation coverage
Year / Total / Total / Year
1997 / Census / U=95 R=83 / 1997
1999 / 98.7 a / HES / Country data levels higher than those of JMP estimates. Discrepancy due to the use of different units: country uses % of households while JMP uses % of population. / 1999
2000 / MICS / U=78 R=70 / 2000
2002 / Nutrition survey / U=78 R=53 / 2002
2003 / 98.8 a / HES / 2003
2004 / 99.0 a / HES / 2004
2005 / 99.4 a / HES / MICS / U=100 R=93 / 2005
2006 / 99.3 a / HES / 2006
2008 / 99.2 a / HES / 2008
MDG target (2015) / 90% / MDG target (2015)
National target Year / 2015 / Global target Year

a Percentage of households. U, urban; R, rural.

HES = Household environmental survey

Remarks

How to submit missing or new survey or census data for international monitoring to the UN?

Data from new nationally representative household surveys and censuses, as well as from nationally representative surveys not listed in this document can be send to UNICEF’s data inbox: . Data should be sent disaggregated by urban and rural areas and by drinking water and sanitation service category. In line with the formulation of the MDG indicators for water and sanitation, the denominator of choice is population rather than households.

If there are any errors or omissions in this document, thank you for returning a corrected copy of this file by email to: , and

UNSD and ESCWA meeting, Beirut, December 2009

[1] Bottled water is considered to be improved only when the household uses water from another improved source for cooking and personal hygiene; where this information is not available, bottled water is classified on a case-by- case basis.

[2] Excreta are flushed to the street, yard or plot, open sewer, a ditch, a drainage way or other location.