Recommended Timeframe for Restoring Drinking Water Supply in Malawi

Abstract

In some parts of the world, supply of safe water is intermittent. In Malawi, some water supply interruptions are so long that they force consumers to fetch water from other sources. Majority of the alternative sources, however, provide unsafe water which puts people at risk of contracting waterborne diseases. This leads to high percentages of waterborne diseases. While this is the case, the period beyond which safe water supply interruptions force consumers in Malawi to fetch water from other sources was not known. As such, the purpose of this research was to establish this timespan. According to the study, people in Malawi are forced to fetch water from other sources whenever safe water supply interruptions last for 1.4 days or longer. We, therefore, encourage Malawi's water utilities to ensure that water supply interruptions do not last for this long. Strategies for ensuring that safe water supply interruptions are not too long have been discussed in this chapter.