ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY SCHEMES: A CASE STUDY OF DAMOT GALE WOREDA, WOLAITA ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The Sustainability Development Goal targets to reduce the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water, but huge disparities still exist. The main objective of this study was to assess the main factors affecting the sustainability of rural water schemes in the Damot Gale Woreda. The main factors considered were: water usage, water quality, time spent to collect water, service provision, service interruption, water tariff, willingness to pay, management factors, choice of technology and environmental factors. Data was collected using questionnaires, focused group discussion, field visits and key informant interview. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data and to calculate sustainability scores for water schemes. The analysis showed that the average daily water usage was below the mean, i.e 20 to 40 liters/ household. About 75.47 % of the beneficiaries spent more time to collect water than the standard (30 minute round trip). About 73.21 % of the beneficiaries were dissatisfied with the absence of operator during water collection. About 57 % of beneficiaries answered there were service interruptions because of system failure rated at 77.74 %. About 50.18% of water users perceived taste and odor problem. About 23.02 % of beneficiaries argued that the newly set tariff was expensive and 34.34 % are not willing to pay. The results indicated that the main factors which made the schemes unsustainable were: long fetching time; service interruption due to scheme failure; new water tariff; willingness to pay and commitment of all members. Water service providers and the community should address the identified affecting sustainability factors in their conception, planning, construction and post construction management activities of rural water supply schemes. Therefore, the findings call for adopting demand responsive approach, strengthening community participation, building community capacity to manage water supply schemes properly, establishing effective user fee collection system, developing trusted and transparent system of funds management, choosing appropriate technology, building local technicians' capacity, minimizing problems related with availability of spare parts, improving construction quality as well as strengthening the capacity of the leading office at Woreda level to support rural communities in managing water supply