Abstract:
Safe and adequate water supply and sanitation services are the basic needs and essential
for the socio-economic development of a given society. This research intended to assess
the sustainability of rural water supply schemes which are fitted with hand pumps in
identified rural intervention kebeles of Jabi-Tehnan District in Western Amhara Regional
state, Ethiopia. Constructing water supply systems alone would not address all problems
related to poor access to water supply services, especially in rural areas. The study
employed a combination of purposive and simple random sampling techniques to
selected sample kebeles and sample water supply schemes. From the total 173 schemes in
the intervention kebeles, 121 water points were selected for the study. The schemes
survey data were collected using mWater tools. Additionally, focus group discussion, key
informant interview, sanitary survey, and personal observation were applied for data
collection. From the surveyed water schemes 11% and 6% of them were nonfunctional
and abandoned. From the total surveyed hand pumps 96% of which have no their own
watershed plan/area closer as simply they erect the structure without a standard fence,
cutoff drain, and water way. Gender mainstreaming in the committee (women in the
committee) are not hundred percent inclusive in each water point, unlike males. The
majorities of the water supply schemes (74%) in the communities are inadequate due to
an increase in the number of beneficiaries, shortage of water during the dry season,
inadequate depth of excavation/drilling, and pump failure. Rural water supply fees in the
study area are not satisfactory to cover at least operation and maintenance costs. From the
total surveyed water schemes 94% of the water schemes had a trained caretaker to
undertake Operation and Maintenance, and where present, only 9% conducted both
preventive and corrective maintenance. Woreda water office encourages the Water
committee, with providing a reasonable tariff setting for the spare parts supply chain to
repair, and maintain the scheme with revolving funds in the long run. Develop a water
shad plan/area closure/ conservation practice around the rural water supply schemes.