Abstract:
Sustainability assessment is one of the critical issues for any urban water supply system
and it is included in the second growth transformation plan of Ethiopia. Intermittent water
supply, drinking water shortages, and water quality issues are familiar problems in Debre
Tabor town. Thus, the main focus of the present study was evaluation of the sustainability
of the water supply system in Debre Tabor town based on hydraulic efficiency of the
existing distribution system, water quality analysis, and customer satisfaction in terms of
quality and quantity. To achieve this objective, relevant data was gathered from both
primary and secondary sources. The sustainability of the urban water distribution systems
was measured by the sustainability index (SI) based upon reliability, resiliency, and
vulnerability as performance signifying criteria. According to the findings of the study, the
sustainability index of the distribution system was 0.37, which indicated that the system
was not sustainable. The water quality index (WQI) based analysis results showed that
55.5% of the samples from boreholes and reservoirs and only 45% of the samples from tap
waters were very good for drinking purpose. The average WQI in the boreholes and
reservoirs was 98, which showed a "good" water supply for drinking purposes as per both
the WHO and Ethiopian drinking water standards. However, the tap water was below this.
On the other hand, the town's average per capita consumption and water loss were
11.87liters/day, and 24%, respectively. Generally, the findings of the study disclosed that
the sustainability of the town's water supply system is mainly affected by social, economic,
environmental and technical conditions. The study suggests water supply problems to be
addressed by conserving water sources, using additional alternative sources of clean
water, and working on activities of limiting water loss.
Keywords: Reliability, Resiliency, Sustainability, Sustainability indicators, vulnerability,
Debre Tabor