WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Supplies of drinking water can be developed from a variety of different sources, and by a variety of different methods. The
table below summarises the main types of source, with some brief comments. Fuller information about each type of source
is given in the individual sections of these technology notes.

A brief guide to water resource development:

Water Source Capital Cost Running Cost Comments / Requirements

Rainwater catchment Medium Low Needs two wet seasons a year,

Storage tanks needed. preferably. Water quality is
poor.

Spring protection Low Low Needs a reliable spring flow

Medium, if piped to community. throughout the year.

Gravity supply High Low Needs a stream or spring

Pipelines and local storage. source at a higher elevation.
Major advantage is that
tapstands can be near houses.

Hand-dug wells Low (local labour) Low Abstraction can be by bucket

Hand pump needed. and windlass, but handpump is
preferred.

Tubewells or boreholes Medium Medium Suits deep underground

Well drilling equipment needed. Mechanical pumping aquifer. Needs maintenance of
Borehole to be lined. mechanical pumps.

River / lake abstraction High High Last resort. Filtration essential.

Design and construction of intake. Treatment and pumping Maintenance required for
usually needed filtration and dosing plant.