Performance indicators of water supply network of Goma Township in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a tripartite assessment

Abstract

In Goma Township, the water supply system has become ineffective and insufficient against the background of an increasing population with high water demand. A study was therefore carried out to assess the water supply network of Goma Township using three performances indicators with a view to proposing possible solutions to the existing water supply challenges. The methodology involved the assessment and evaluation of the water production, the physical characteristics, and the hydraulic characteristics of the current water supply network. The research utilized secondary data comprising technical reports from review of the literature, GIS data sets, and a database of the existing network converted into an EPANET model to assess its performances. The results generally showed a low performance of the current water supply system (production capacity: 11%, hydraulic characteristic: 33%, physical characteristic: 71%) mainly related to the water demand which has outpaced the water supply capacity and several design issues. The methodology used in this study and the results obtained can be used not only for Goma Township but also by other Sub-Saharan African cities in order to solve the urban water supply crisis.