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The study examined the nature of associaiton between local level management of water resource systems and sustainable water supply. The study used purely descriptive and cross-sectional designs alongside purposive sampling techniques to collect data from a total of 218 respondents. The study noted that local involvement in the formulation and enforcement of rules governing the use of water supply system greatly enhanced the adherence to such rules. There existed a collage of local practices and arrangements that shaped the management of water systems. The flexibility of governance arrangements for water systems resulted in greater effectiveness in solving community water needs. The findings of this study suggest that the nature of governance arrangments for community management of water resource systems was associated with the sustainability of water supply.

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Patrick Osei-Kufuor is a Research Fellow in Development Studies at the Institute for Development Studies University of Cape Coast. His research works place emphasis on understanding poverty and institutional equity with particular application to decentralised local governance. Emmanuel A. Atiisipae is Development Management Consultant in Ghana.

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