Sustainability Of Water Supply Services Research Articles

Assessment of Factors Impacting Water Supply Services in Lusaka District: A Case of Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company

The water supply situation in Lusaka district faces numerous challenges related to reliability, accessibility, and sustainability of water supply services. Despite a population of 3,079,964, only 134,807 household connections were established by LWSC in 2022. With a record 4.5% population increase from 2022 to 2023, the demand for water stands at over 420,000 cubic meters per day, while LWSC produces 250,000 cubic meters per day. Groundwater, accounting for 57% of LWSC's water, is threatened by land development and pollution. Meanwhile, 45% of the population relies on site sanitation, contributing to groundwater pollution, the very source LWSC is dependent upon. Lusaka faces low or no water supply, an average of 18 hours per day. Despite existing research on the peri-urban water supply, a gap remains in addressing the challenges of rapidly growing urban areas like Lusaka. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive analysis focusing on the unique challenges faced by LWSC, such as land development, population growth, and climate change. The research will offer practical solutions for sustainable water supply management in Lusaka and similar contexts. The research philosophy employed for this study is interpretivism, as it allows for a deep understanding of the subjective experiences and perceptions of experts involved in the water supply sector in Lusaka. This approach aligns with the qualitative nature of the research, which aims to explore and understand the complex interactions between various factors influencing water supply services in the district. The findings of the study reveal that climate change, population growth, and land development are significant factors influencing water supply services in Lusaka. Erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts have led to challenges in water availability and quality, while rapid population growth has increased the demand for water supply services, putting pressure on the existing infrastructure. Unplanned land development has also led to challenges in water supply services, particularly in areas with shallow water tables that are vulnerable to groundwater pollution. The study recommends investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, diversifying water sources, enhancing water conservation practices, and strengthening land use planning regulations to address these challenges and ensure the sustainability of water supply services in Lusaka.

Provision of post construction support (PCS) services to state water authorities in Nigeria: constraints and the way forward

Abstract Post-construction Support (PCS) services refer to all forms of assistance/support given to water service providers (WSPs) to enable them to detect, correct and maintain water system infrastructure or prevent future system faults. PCS enhances the quality and sustainability of water supply services. This paper examines the provision of PCS to state water authorities in Nigeria. Specifically, we identified the sources of PCS and relevance of PCS; then we discussed the pattern of occurrence of system faults the bureaucracy associated with PCS provision across the sampled states. Finally, we examined the constraints to PCS provision and the options for overcoming the challenges. The study used empirical data derived from questionnaire surveys, through key informant interviews (KIIs) and from published literature. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools. Results of the study revealed the current sources and patterns of PCS provision which vary widely across the sampled states. PCS is provided intermittently based on resource availability and on the willingness of the provider. The constraints and bureaucracies associated with PCS provision cause prolonged and avoidable delays and limit quality service delivery with often great consequences for the end users. WSPs lack legislative, and policy instruments to compel governments to act and ensure that PCS services are provided speedily and in a sustainable manner. The poor quality of service delivery in the area can be traced, in part, to a lack of needed PCS services. Consequently, the way forward for WSPs is to confront the dearth of PCS in the water supply sector frontally. Suggestions on how to surmount the dearth of PCS and improve the quality of service delivery in the area were advanced.

Water Price Optimization after the Melamchi Water Supply Project: Ensuring Affordability and Equitability for Consumer’s Water Use and Sustainability for Utilities

Sustainability of water supply services has been central to the main water supply agenda globally. In order to promote affordable, equitable, and sustainable water supply, this paper proposed a method to set the piped water price inside Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) is currently under construction inside the valley to tide over the water deficit. Domestic water use and expenditure data were obtained from a household survey of 1500 households. Post-MWSP were developed based upon per capita water use and water price. Equity and affordability were evaluated by comparing the ratio of water expenditure to total expenditure of households (expenditure ratio: ER) in each service area. The expenditure for piped water service and alternate water sources was taken into account to calculate the total water expenditure. Sustainability was measured as the ratio of operation and maintenance cost to the total revenue of the utility (Working ratio: WR). The results show that an increase in water price by approximately 54% over the current price is necessary to meet operation and maintenance costs, assuming the WR to be 0.7. Approximately 30% increase in water use (a minimum of 80 LPCD) can be maintained post MWSP. However, water use of 135 LPCD increased the ER by more than 1%, which was the threshold of water affordability and may cause ground water stress.

The full cost of the water supply services and reasonable levels of cost recovery case study in HoChiMinh city

The determination of the full cost of water supply services and the levels of its reasonable cost recovery is very important in the policy decisions related to water supply services and water environmental protection in the face of pressures of water shortage and pollution are increasing. This paper introduces a general framework for the analysis of the full cost of the water supply services and it has applied to analyze, evaluate for a case study in Ho Chi Minh City. This analysis framework focused on three basic components that make up the full cost of water supply services including: (i) the full cost of providing water (financial costs), (ii) opportunity cost of using water (resource cost), and (iii) the environmental cost (environmental and economic damages caused by water sources pollution). On the basis of the evaluated full cost, the levels and mechanism of reasonable cost recovery also be discussed towards three pillars of sustainable development related to water: financial sustainability of water supply services, sustainability in terms of the natural environment, and social adaptability for changes in the water prices.

Managing Water Services in Small Towns: Challenges and Reform Issues for Low-Income Countries

Water services provision in low-income countries has become an important area of concern and research within the global sustainable-development agenda. The global interest in potable water-supply issues in the developing world is captured in the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations member states United Nations 2000 . A key target of these goals is to halve the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by the year 2015. To achieve this target, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund WHO and UNICEF 2000 estimate that more than one billion people in the developing world will need to gain access to improved water services within the next 10 years. This estimate is based on the assumption that services for those who are already served will be sustained. However, recent studies have revealed that huge constraints still affect the sustainability of water supply services. These constraints include funding limitations, insufficient cost recovery, and inadequate operation and maintenance WHO and UNICEF 2000 . These challenges are greater in the fast-growing small urban areas of low-income countries where the highest population growth rates today are reported United Nations 2002; Satterthwaite and Tacoli 2003 . This article focuses on the problems and issues regarding water services management in small towns of low-income and developing countries. The article has three primary objectives. First, the authors show that whereas management systems for water service delivery in both rural and large urban areas are fast becoming accepted as norms, service provision in small-town settlements faces special challenges that may require rethinking conventional approaches. Second, the authors critically evaluate recent practices and efforts aimed at addressing the special challenges that water service providers face in small-town settlements. Third, drawing on the rapidly growing body of applied research and policy analysis directed specifically at small-town water supply, the authors identify an integrated set of reform considerations to guide policymakers and urban-planning professionals involved in water supply issues in developing countries.

Role of consumer behaviour studies in improving water supply delivery to the urban poor

A recent report by WHO and UNICEF on the state of water and sanitation provision across the globe paints a gloomy picture of the situation in developing countries. Of great concern is the plight of the urban poor whose numbers are increasing rapidly across the developing world. Currently, a more market-like approach is being promoted as the way forward in the water sector. This approach is seen as an effective way of being demand responsive and hence a useful way of providing a sustainable water supply service for all groups of consumers. The authors advocate that a prerequisite for effectively using a marketing approach is a good understanding of the behaviour of the target consumers, that is, knowing what consumers think, feel, do and the things and places that influence and are influenced by what they think, feel and do. Consumer behaviour studies have widespread application in the marketing of goods and services and the application of some of these concepts could be useful in improving water services delivery. Better understanding of consumer behaviour could help in developing strategies for successfully marketing water as both a social and an economic good, thus enhancing the sustainability of water supply services.