Intermittent piped water supply is common in low- and middle-income countries and is inconvenient for users, particularly when supply schedules are unreliable. In this study, supply schedules and operational challenges were characterized in intermittent areas of the Arraiján, Panama distribution network based on one year of pressure and flow monitoring in four study zones, analysis of three years of pipe break data, and observations of system operation. Service quality was found to vary among users and supply schedules were often irregular and unpredictable. Direct causes of unanticipated supply outages included pump failures, chronic pipe breaks in specific parts of the system, transmission main breaks, irregular valve operations, and treatment plant outages. The extent and duration of these outages were often increased by high rates of water loss, insufficient storage capacity, and difficulty detecting and resolving infrastructure failures. Factors associated with intermittent supply, such as intermittent pumping, appeared to be associated with a higher frequency of pipe breaks. However, the analysis did not indicate a strong general correlation between intermittent supply and pipe breaks. Pressure and flow monitoring in intermittent supply areas, similar to that undertaken in this study, could be a valuable tool to improve regular operations as well as longer-term planning and prioritization of system improvements. Water loss reduction and adequate distribution storage capacity could also mitigate the effects of operational failures. Investments in monitoring and data analysis have the potential to improve the reliability of intermittent supply in cases where continuous supply is not immediately feasible.
No abstract
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.