COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL WATER SERVICE DELIVERY IN WALUNGU TERRITORY, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO​

Keeping rural water services operational requires communities to organise routine maintenance and obtain help when repairs exceed local capacity. This study examined the relationship between community participation in operation and maintenance and sustainability of rural water service delivery in Walungu Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design combined household questionnaires with stakeholder interviews. Of 360 household questionnaires administered, 344 were completed, giving a response rate of 95.6%. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and the operation-and-maintenance coefficient from the broader study’s multiple regression model. Interview accounts were analysed thematically. Although 56.3% of respondents recognised a community committee responsible for operation and maintenance, 57.8% disagreed that breakdowns were repaired within a reasonable time. Interview participants described irregular contributions, local efforts to undertake minor repairs and dependence on external technicians for major faults. Operation and maintenance had a weak positive correlation with sustainability (r = .199, p < .001). The association remained statistically significant after adjustment for decision-making, capacity building and ownership (B = 0.134, β = .180, p = .001). These findings draw attention to the practical gap between having a maintenance committee and being able to restore interrupted services. They support attention to repair finance, clear maintenance responsibilities and accessible technical assistance. The cross-sectional design and inconsistencies in the reported measurement records limit interpretation; the findings establish an association rather than a causal effect. The article contributes evidence on the conditions surrounding community participation in maintaining rural water services in Walungu.