Development of water supply systems in small municipalities

Abstract

Supplying population of small municipalities with drinking water brings up a number of problems. The main ones are water production, its treatment and transportation. Studying the difficulties of supplying population with drinking water makes it possible to identify acute problems and to outline the prospects for the development of water supply systems. The statistical data on water supply problems are given. The dynamics of aging water systems is presented. Various water supply schemes are considered. There are highlighted unique details of each water supply system, that require an individual approach, careful preparation and analysis of the initial data, and performance of quite complex technical and economic calculations. The options for combining existing systems and their reconstruction are discussed. Water supply systems with a water tower are analyzed. Ways out of the crisis in water supply field are suggested.

SWOT Matrix as a tool for diagnosing the municipal water supply system of a small city: a case study

“…Corroborating what has been reported, Smirnov et al (2019) propose the transition from chlorinated water disinfection systems to systems using sodium hypochlorite, as a measure to modernize and develop water supply systems in small municipalities. In this way, it is understood that the technology used by the municipality can be considered a strength.…”

“…According to Smirnov et al (2019), in small municipalities, new wells are drilled as they expand and the water demand increases. These are connected to the existing water supply network, creating a centralized supply system with decentralized sources.…”

“…Nagara et al (2015) report as an opportunity, in a SWOT analysis, that technological innovation has led to cheaper and better tubular wells and mechanical pumps. Smirnov et al (2019) cited as examples of technological advances in water supply systems for small municipalities, the implementation of an integrated production process control system, modular treatment stations, ozonation and membrane filtration. In this way, it is believed that such advances can also be considered for application in the SQPA, if there is a need and economic feasibility.…”

“…There are saving technologies that can reduce wasted water, such as the use of dual flushes, which are independent of changes in users' habits (CUNHA; GUEDES, 2019). Smirnov et al (2019) propose the reduction of specific water consumption in the residential sector as a measure (among others) that leads to the modernization and development of the water supply system in small municipalities. Reuse of water also fights waste.…”

“…Because it is a complex activity, managers of water supply systems also face complex problems. Among the main challenges faced by entities in the sector, par-ticularly in the case of small municipalities, we can mention the limited financial resources, less qualified human resources, lower per capita income, reduced population densities and little organizational capacity (MUGABI; NJIRU, 2006), in addition to problems related to controlling and combating water losses (BARROS;LIMA, 2020;GORZONI et al , 2019) and maintaining its quality (GUNNARSDOTTIR et al , 2017;SMIRNOV;PO-MOGAEVA;SHLYCHKOV, 2019).…”