Assessment on Sustainability of Rural Water Supply System in the Case of Gimbichu Rural Woreda, Ethiopia.
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Date
2026-02-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
All life as we know it on Earth depends on water, which is the basic need. Because of this, it is essential to maintain the sustainability of the water supply system. Protecting water resources requires using efficient water management techniques, such as conserving water supply sources and avoiding the disposal of trash and waste in bodies of water that could contaminate the water and disturb natural ecosystems.
General Objective: The general objective of this study is to assess the sustainability of rural water supply system and factors affecting them in rural areas of Gimbichu Woreda.
Methods: Data analysis methods, this research used was collect and analyzed relevant data on sustainability of the existing rural water supply system condition in the study area and factors affect them using descriptive, exploratory, ArcGIS with Arc Swat and Water GEMS. Result: The study reveals that hydraulic performance, functionality, and management sustainability of rural water supply systems in Gimbichu Woreda were evaluated in this study. The results show that major hydraulic and institutional flaws seriously jeopardize long-term sustainability, even though some schemes have strong structural elements. The Haftu Seftu system model output results are characterized by elevated head loss gradients and reduced flow velocities in certain pipes, indicating that the system is unable to sustain water delivery effectively under the present conditions. The hydraulic performance of the Kersey Riga and Kersa Kemise systems has been performing better, however, the flow is regulated and hydraulic high levels are stable. Nonetheless, over time, localized high head losses and negative pressures continue to jeopardize energy efficiency, safety, and reliable service delivery. Shallow wells fitted with hand pumps and deep well generators/electric power are more than 50% likely to fail, the highest % of non functionality in the water supply system. Even if the hand-dug wells powered by solar energy function much better, no technology is reliable since there is no power bank to store energy during cloudy season. The improper governance of the community, lack of technical skills, insufficient source of funding, difficult access to spare parts, and the mismatch of local capacity with technology’s complexity are the major issues that obstruct sustainability. The study finds that for Gimibichu woreda sustainable rural water supply an integrated hydraulic optimization approach to technology selection along with strong institutional and community structures is essential. Some key recommendations are improving the negative pressure zones, resizing pipes, upgrading the storage and pumping system capacity, and implementing regular hydraulic monitoring. Encouraging solar and easily manageable technologies, strengthening local technical and financial capacity, decentralizing spare parts supply chains, empowering Water User Committees, and integrating demand management, groundwater recharge, and rainwater harvesting are all equally important. To guarantee resilient, equitable, and long-lasting water services in Gimbichu Woreda, such comprehensive interventions are crucial.
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Keywords
Sustainability, Technical determinant, social determinant, and Environmental factors.