MANAGEMENT
by
Actions and Consequences
The Indus
Pakistan
India
Some Basic
DEFINITIONS
The World Health Organisation
defines:
• safe water as “. . water that does not contain harmful
chemical substances or micro-organisms in
concentrations that cause illness in any form”
• Karachi, Pakistan
– In some zones of the Karachi WSS up to
80% of the samples analysed were found
to contain high counts of faecal coliform
GOVERNMENTS ADOPT
EXTREME MEASURES
• Since the water quantity available for supply generally
is not sufficient to meet the demands of the population,
water conservation measures are employed.
– In many countries the sector is historically rather
inefficient and tends to operate on a crisis
management basis.
– Demand management limited and often arise from
dire need rather than good planning.
• One of the most common methods of controlling water
demand is the use of intermittent supplies, usually by
necessity rather than design.
RETRO-FITTING
• Retro-fitting provides one of the most effective short-term
options for reducing water demand.
• Many government buildings or institutions do not pay for
their water or the consumers have no interest in
conservation.
– Good examples are University campuses, Ministry
buildings, government hospitals etc. With very little
capital investment, usually only a few dollars per fitting,
water consumption may be reduced by as much as
20%
• Incentives are offered to those who retrofit including,
payment grants from local authorities
WASTEWATER REUSE
• Treated wastewater or in some cases urban runoff or stormwater
(rain water harvesting) could be reused efficiently.
– Botswana - Vegetable gardening area of 150 m² at a clinic in
Lobatse was irrigated with water from sinks and hand basins. All
waste water was drained into drums dug into the ground .
– Bulawayo - Final effluent from sewage treatment works is treated
for reuse on suburban parks, golf courses, nurseries, schools…
• May require dedicated distribution system (may be open to abuse
and those urban poor without adequate supply).
• In many culture there is also a cultural taboo about reusing wastes
of all types.
– This may have to be addressed in public awareness campaigns.
TARIFF STRUCTURES
• Tariff structures designed to conserve water must penalize
over use but not minimize access to the urban poor.
– Punitive tariff structure should consider setting the
‘basic needs tariff at a level affordable by very poor
households with significantly higher tariffs imposed for
consumption above the basic needs level.