Evaluation of Technical Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Projects in The Amhara Regional State Case Study in South Wollo
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Date
2007-02
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Addis Ababa
Abstract
The objective of this study is to evaluate the technical sustainability of rural water supply
situation in South Wollo zone in the Amhara Regional State. The evaluation of water
supply in selected rural areas is based on desk study of relevant literature and findings of
the field assessment on the performance of the water supply systems
.
The study is carried out in two Woredas of south Wollo zone by visiting 29 water supply
schemes. The three types of water supply technologies studied in the thesis are hand dug
wells, spring development, and shallow borehole. Inadequate delivery of rural water
supply system services, due to so many, difficulties are inhibiting the access of
communities to basic Water Supply System infrastructure services. Existing facilities are
often poorly constructed and insufficiently maintained, and do not adequately provide
urgently needed basic services. The major problems, which are noticed in the sample
water supply projects, are structural defects, quality, quantity, non reliability,
inconvenience, too much user, lack of maintenance and repair, lack of trained person,
attitudinal problem etc.
Among the numerous factors that contributed to the poor performance of the schemes, the
two key reasons are technical and institutional problems. Poor facilities design, poor
construction, and lack of provision for system management and operation and
maintenance, Limited policy implementation, Lack of capacity to keep the system
running after project completion, poor cooperation between the water agent and users,
lack of involvement of the community in the planning and construction process have also
compounded the problems
In the paper different kinds of water technologies suitable for small villages are discussed
as options, by giving attention to VLOM Hand pumps and renewable energy IE solar and
wind pumps.
The recommendations stress on the need for proper and routine O&M program, need of
quality checking and control, importance of cooperation between different water supply
implementing agencies, need for encouraging community involvement as the key to
ensure project sustainability and reduction of costs, and on implementing systematic and
decentralized management and monitoring system of water supply schemes at the village
level.
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Keywords
Amhara Regional State