A framework to support water leakage reporting at water supply networks through crowdsourcing: a case study of National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda

Abstract

Water leakage remains a critical challenge in urban water distribution networks in developing countries; however, beyond physical infrastructure failures, ineffective water leakage reporting mechanisms significantly limit timely detection and response. In many utilities, leakage reporting is constrained by low public participation, unclear or inaccessible reporting channels, language barriers, and limited trust in institutional responsiveness, resulting in delayed interventions and increased non-revenue water. To address this reporting gap, this study proposes a crowdsourcingbased framework to support effective water leakage reporting, using the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Uganda as a case study. Guided by the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the study integrates theoretical insights with empirical data collected from NWSC staff and community members to design and refine the framework. The research process comprised three stages: problem identification and analysis, framework design and development, and expert evaluation. The resulting framework addresses key reporting-related challenges by strengthening citizen engagement, clarifying reporting procedures, enabling multilingual support, enhancing data validation, and promoting responsive institutional action within appropriate legal and ethical safeguards. Expert evaluation findings indicate that the framework has strong potential to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and scalability of water leakage reporting, thereby supporting more effective operational response and sustainable water service delivery. Overall, the study contributes a practical, ICT-enabled crowdsourcing solution and extends theoretical understanding of participatory approaches to water governance in developing country contexts.