URBAN WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM PERFORMANCE ASSESMENT: THE CASE OF ALEM GENA TOWN.

Intermittent water distribution is the key problems of many water authorities in developing countries including Ethiopia. Water demand has been increasing significantly in most cities due to population growth and other factors. As a result, town water utilities are struggling to provide customers with adequate and reliable water supply service in spite of obstacles which hinder water utilities not to provide the required service. This study assess the performance of Alem Gena town water supply sub-system based on main performance indicators namely Demand and supply, water loss, water quality, customers satisfaction and operation and maintenance. These indicators have been cited the main factors which reflect the performance of many urban water supply systems. High water loss, customer complaints and operation and maintenance problems indicates that there are deficiencies on the quality of the service. To conduct this research, data of water production and consumption, water supply system data were obtained from the water utility records, other data not found in the water utility records is collected using instruments. Hydraulic performance of the system is also evaluated by modeling the system. Water quality tests were conducted and compared with the national and international standards. Household interviews were made to understand customers’ satisfaction towards the water supply. The result shows that water loss is 37.38% higher than the generally accepted value of 25%. There is a frequent interruption of boreholes. The water quality test shows some parameters departed from the standard set on the Ethiopian and WHO water quality guidelines. In addition there is customer’s complaint towards continuous access of water. The operation and maintenance in the town is identified to be poor. In conclusion, the town’s water supply system is poor in managing water loss, water quality, operation and maintenance with the worst condition of continuous generation of water from sources continuously without interruption. It is recommended that the water utility develop a strategy and work hard on the indicated system deficiencies especially on operation and maintenance to improve the water supply system performance and provide customers with good quality service