Intermittent water supply systems: causal factors, problems and solution options

Abstract

Intermittent water supply systems are characterised by schedules that subject water consumers to less than 24 hours a day or less than 7 days of water supply a week. Causes and problems of water supply intermittency and their management options are generally discussed in isolation. This obscures challenges involved in minimising intermittency problems. Through reviewing of the literature relevant to intermittency causal factors, problems and their solution options, this paper finds that the interplay between political, social, economic, natural and technical factors, as they contribute to the development and sustenance of water supply intermittency, calls for interdisciplinary approaches to resolving the problems. These approaches will facilitate understanding of the challenges and development of integrated sustainable interventions. Where water resources are abundant, these interventions should involve conversion from intermittent to continuous supply as the ultimate option to handling supply intermittency problems. For this, development of systematic conversion procedures is recommended.