Water Supply Systems Optimization for Developing Countries

Author(s):  
Ralf G. Cembrowicz
1993 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1353-1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samer Madanat ◽  
Frannie Humplick

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domínguez ◽  
Oviedo-Ocaña ◽  
Hurtado ◽  
Barón ◽  
Hall

Rural water supply systems (RWSS) in developing countries typically have deficiencies that threaten their sustainability. This research used Multi-Criteria Analysis and the Analytical Hierarchy Process to identify indicators that can be used to assess the sustainability of RWSS. The assessment tool developed is composed of 17 attributes with 95 quantifiable indicators. The tool enables the assessment of the sustainability of RWSS, using data collected through semi-structured interviews, social cartography, technical inspection, household surveys, and water monitoring. The tool was applied in a case study of a RWSS in the Andean region of Colombia, illustrating a participatory, holistic, and structured assessment that provided a single sustainability measure for the system (3.0/5.0). The tool’s completeness is represented by its extensive attributes and indicators that deliver a robust baseline on the state of a system, help identify improvement strategies, and monitor system performance over time that can assists rural community organizations with RWSS management.


Water Policy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 696-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Whittington ◽  
Jennifer Davis ◽  
Linda Prokopy ◽  
Kristin Komives ◽  
Richard Thorsten ◽  
...  

This paper reports the main findings of a multi-country research project designed to develop a better understanding of the performance of community-managed rural water supply systems in developing countries. Data were collected from households, village water committees, focus groups of village residents, system operators and key informants in 400 rural communities in Peru, Bolivia and Ghana. Our findings suggest that the demand-driven, community management model, coupled with access to spare parts and some technical expertise, has come a long way toward unraveling the puzzle of how best to design and implement rural water supply programs in developing countries. In all three countries, rural water supply projects were working. Among the households included in our sample in Peru and Bolivia, 95% had operational taps at the time of our field visit. In 90% of the villages in Ghana, all project handpumps were still working. Not only had the rural water systems not broken down, but almost all the households in these communities were obtaining at least some of their water from the systems. However, some households were also still using water from other sources. In Ghana, 38% of households still reported using water from unprotected sources (e.g. springs, river, open wells) for drinking and/or cooking. Another troublesome finding is that rural households in the sample villages are paying very little for the improved water services and, as a result, the finances of many village water committees are in poor shape.


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