Examining the Relative Impact of Drivers on Energy Input for Municipal Water Supply in Africa

Pauline Macharia,Maria Wirth,Norbert Kreuzinger,Paul Yillia

doi:10.3390/su13158480

Abstract

This study examines supply-side and demand-side drivers of municipal water supply and describes how they interact to impact energy input for municipal water supply in Africa. Several key compound indicators were parameterized to generate cluster centers using k-means cluster analysis for 52 countries in Africa to show the impact of water supply–demand drivers on municipal water supply and associated energy input. The cluster analysis produced impact scores with five cluster centers that grouped countries with similar key compound indicators and impact scores. Three countries (Gambia, Libya, & Mauritius) were classified as outliers. Libya presented a unique case with the highest impact score on energy input for raw water abstraction, associated with largescale pumping from deep groundwater aquifers. Multivariate analysis of the key indicators for 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are either water-secure or water-stressed illustrate the relative impact of drivers on energy input for municipal water supply. The analytical framework developed presents an approach to assessing the impact of drivers on energy input for municipal water supply, and the findings could be used to support planning processes to build resilient drinking water infrastructure in developing countries with data challenges.

Highlights

This study examines water supply and water demand drivers of municipal water supply, defined as natural as well as socio-economic, political, and technological factors that may contribute to changes in water supply and demand and the energy input for municipal water supply in the short and long term
The relative impact of selected indicators on energy use for municipal water supply in selected water-secure and water-stressed countries in Africa is illustrated through principal component analysis
The drivers identified were categorized into four overarching categories: (i) drivers affecting freshwater availability, (ii) drivers affecting freshwater availability, (iii) socio-economic factors affecting freshwater water availability, and (iv) operational factors directly impacting energy input for municipal water supply as described in the methods section

Summary

Introduction

7% of total energy generation is used in the municipal water sector [1]. Depending on the source and quality of raw water and the size and topography of the service area, energy input can account for up to 70% of the total operational costs of municipal water utilities [3]. Energy input constitutes the largest single controllable operational cost factor for many municipal water utilities worldwide [2]. Managers of municipal water infrastructure must examine the implications of raw water abstraction, treatment, and supply choices to minimize or optimize energy use. There is a growing awareness of the potential for energy use planning in the municipal water sector.

Objectives

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Discussion

Conclusion