Achieving 24x7 water and water loss management in intermittent supply environment

The UN recently declared access to clean water as being a “fundamental Human Right.”Yet worldwide, 1.6 billion people, almost a third of the world’s population, lack access to clean drinking water; another 2.6 billion lack access to sanitation. Of these, 1.6 million die every year due to unsafe and intermittent water supply, mostly children between the ages of one and five (CAD User, 2008). As the pressure to fill this gap in water and sanitation access grows, many people are making a case that all the nations of the world, particularly the poor ones, should go beyond just planning for basic water access and aim for 24x7 water supply. But is this really possible?

The reality of providing 24x7 water access seems like a distant dream for many developing countries. In the Asian context, for example, many countries like India are struggling to deliver a continuous supply of safe drinking water to its citizens. There are many reasons for this including the fact that population growth has quickly surpassed (and continues to rapidly surpass) the growth of infrastructure as well as the lack of natural availability of water resources in these countries. In Asia, for example, the annual growth in access to improved water sources has been 0.9 percent since 1990! At this rate, it will take the region more than 50 years to reach a safe, uninterrupted supply of water (Seetharam, 2009).  Aging infrastructure further complicates the situation by significantly increasing water losses. For example, the average water loss in India through leakage and theft is 70 percent (Seetharam, 2009). How can a system that is so horribly flawed ever be brought ‘up to speed’?

Table of Contents

• Public Vs Private Infrastructure
• Public-Private-Partnerships
• Government, Corporations, and Civil Society (GCS)
• Conclusion
• Related Articles
• References
• Authors

Public Vs Private Infrastructure

Yet one might argue that it is indeed possible for developing countries to not only fix their aging infrastructure, but also provide 24x7 access. Several Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore have risen from equally abysmal economic shortfalls to create world-class water infrastructure for their citizens in very short periods of time. Further, experts state that the investment required to set up the infrastructure in Asia is estimated to be only about six percent of regional GDP from 2005-2010 (Seetharam, 2009). In cases where the investment was paired with good leadership, phenomenal results have occurred. There are examples such as Phnom Penh, where the government took a country with a dilapidated and rundown system, and turned it around in only a few years to be one of the most efficient in Asia. These success stories notwithstanding, investments continue to be far lower than necessary for water infrastructure development.

In the absence of proper public infrastructure, desperate consumers have taken matters into their own hands. Many consumers invest significant portions of their incomes into the installation, operation and maintenance of private water delivery systems such as underground sumps, overhead tanks, pumps, and faucet filters to deal with water quality and access issues. The poor, for their part, pay far more for their water, and must resort to energy intensive and less efficient water safety methods such as boiling for their health (Seetharam, 2005).  Seetharam and Bridges (2005) state that the collective financial investment totaled across these populations (that are seeking to improve their water accessibility) add up to a significant amount. In all, these monies can be collectively utilized to upgrade and expand infrastructure to provide everyone with 24x7 safe water. They have found, for example, that almost 50 percent of the consumers’ electricity bills in India are dedicated to pumping water (Seetharam and Bridges, 2005). Even at half a dollar per day, this rounds up to 250 million USD per day or 90 Billion USD for the year. However, for those who might argue that this is not enough of an investment, surveys have shown that consumers are willing to pay higher prices for better service; and the poor are willing and able to pay the higher prices associated with an uninterrupted supply (Seetharam, 2005). Essentially, it can be proven that it is not for a lack of money, but possibly political will, leadership, or governance that the situation is as is.

Public-Private-Partnerships

Considering the limitations and shortfalls on the part of the public sector, should the private sector be tasked with meeting this demand for 24x7 water access? The lack of investment and the general distrust people have towards private sector participation for public good have led one model of development to gain popularity. This model, called a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), merges public and private sectors to develop, manage and monitor public infrastructure. PPP’s have already been credited with working wonders in cities like Manila and Jakarta. The Manila Water Company, for example, assumed a PPP model in 1997 and took on a 25-year concession contract hoping to fix the city’s seemingly impossible situation. By the first quarter of 2004, it had already increased 24x7 water supply to Manila residents from 26 percent to 91 percent (Seetharam 2005). Still, experts warn against the use of PPP’s as a panacea for all water evils. Often, the public and private sectors spend a great deal of time and money trying to get along and work efficiently together to find a common vision, rather than executing the vision they were brought on board to do.

Government, Corporations, and Civil Society (GCS)

Another popular hybrid model that is being developed focuses on a partnership between Government, Corporations, and Civil Society (GCS). In this model, the government plays the role of the regulator; the corporation is the service provider; and, civil society monitors the quality of service and ensures that consumers are paying for the services they receive. While this model is getting popular amongst policymakers who are eager to spread the responsibility of a large infrastructure network, GCS works best when adequate infrastructure is already in. In India and other developing countries, it appears that GCS works best when local bodies are empowered so that they can customize legal, financial policy, and management changes for their settings. Decentralization and fiscal incentives play a significant role in making this work.

Conclusion

These models aside, there are countries that have managed to pull off water miracles in spite of the odds, through sound water management practices, governance, policy and tremendous political will. Arguably one of the greatest water success stories in Asia and the world has belonged to Singapore, whose Public Utilities Board (PUB) has been responsible for taking a struggling economy with limited and extremely poor water quality in the 1960’s and turning it into an economic water miracle. Today the organization, which has pioneered excellent water management and governance, manages to provide 24x7 clean drinking water to a growing population of almost five million people on an island smaller than the size of New York City. PUB has found that consumers play a key role in the management of the sector. Education about conservation, and water-saving devices and technology enable the public to play a major role. These demand side policies along with appropriate pricing of water has the capability to help provide 24x7 water supply through more efficient management of the source itself In addition to these, technological advances will enable a country to not only provide an uninterrupted supply but to ensure the sustainability of that supply.

Asia faces great challenges in providing this for its citizens but these can be overcome with a variety of models and with the implementation of the appropriate policies. It is important to follow the example of countries that have achieved that goal already and to learn from their models. However, these models must be adapted to the particular country where the reform is being implemented to ensure the greatest success. If not anything else, the stories of Singapore, along with those of other Asian giants like Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, should serve as beacons of hope that it is indeed possible for developing countries to achieve 24x7 access to clean drinking water for its entire population.

Related Articles

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• Drinking Water Quality
• Water Supply
• Water Quality
• Water Supply Network
• Water Supply and Sanitation in the EU
• Household Water Treatment
• Appropriate Technology
• Assessing Human Resource Requirements to Achieve the Water and Sanitation MDGs in Low and Middle Income countries
• Infrastructure Regulation: State Owned Enterprises Vs Investor-owned Infrastructure Operators
• Low cost Solutions for Water and Sanitation
• Millenium Development Goals
• Public Water Utilities - Sustainable Strategic Options
• Public and Private Sector Roles in Water Supply and Sanitation Services

References

The primary references for the information and statistics presented in the original wiki are listed below. Note that, as a result, it has a slightly stronger “Asian bend.” We welcome any input that would supplement our writeup with research from other parts of the world.