Problems of water supply in the Livingstone District Council

Abstract

An adequate water supply is literally a matter of life or death, not only for human beings but also for every form of animal and plant life. Nevertheless, until recently water has been taken for granted with little thought given to its conservation and use as a natural resource. As populations grow and urban areas expand in size, a proportional increase in water supply is necessary to satisfy increasing demand. However,there are usually problems encountered by water supply authorities in the provision of a regular supply of water.This study is a detailed assessment of the water supply system of the Livingstone District Council. The major water users were identified into four categories as domestic, commercial, institutional and industrial. Their positions, distance from the reservoirs as well as type of residential areas for domestic users were determined. In turn, the share of the total water for each water use category was determined. The study also assessed the adequacy of water quantities abstracted from the source and problems encountered in the process. This was done by a close examination of the capacities of the pumping equipment, rising mains, treatment plant reservoirs, the distribution system and an evaluation of the waterworks management. It was established that users were not satisfied with the amounts of water supplied. Tentative water supply problems were identified and in turn investigated closely to determine their effects individually and severally as interrelated factors.