Do you live in a city where drinking water is available 24×7?  Then, you are quite blessed!

In what’s becoming an increasingly common story, many cities today are at risk of running out of water, with water availability now cited as one of the greatest risks to business continuity and growth. Latest cases that made the international headlines are Chennai (India), and Cape Town (South Africa). A severe water shortage is stalking many cities, there are already about 1.2 billion people globally, or almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation.

Around the globe, in many cities, water is not available all day, every day and safe water availability varies widely between and within countries. Those without water have to queue at stand posts—with the additional burden of often not knowing to the nearest day when water may come. Around one billion people receive piped water on premises that is available for fewer than 24 hr every day, in what is called intermittent water supply (IWS).

IWS is a widespread mode of operation for piped systems in both urban and rural contexts around the world. Moreover, according to the United Nations, by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries with absolute water scarcity and two thirds of the world population could be under deficient water conditions. The culprit is a combination of Global Changes such as climate change, population growth, urbanisation trends and human actions.

It is very clear that the causes of intermittent water supply are different ranging from physical water scarcity to political, social, economic, natural (such as droughts, pollution accidents and earthquakes) and technical factors, which contribute to intensify and increase the water deficit. This situation calls for interdisciplinary approaches to resolving the problems. The below diagram visualizes the potential root causes of IWS.

The need to solve systemic problems of IWS is extremely urgent not only because of the growing complexity of today’s challenges, but also because such problems require new mindsets, approaches, collective actions, large monetary and resource investments with multi-generational consequences. Transitioning toward secure and continuous water supply is the only way that these trends will be reversed and get the sustainable water supply back on track.

According to the Chair of IWA IWS SG, Bambos Charalambous, a paradigm shift is imperative. “Transitioning from intermittent supply to continuous is not an easy task and should be done in a cost-effective manner combining improved operations with targeted capital works. This approach has to be based on sound data, good technical modeling, the introduction of good management practices, particularly related to commercial and technical efficiency and the assessment of different options to find the most cost-effective solution. Furthermore, it is imperative to create a well-functioning water utility that has the capacity, know-how and expertise to operate the system through the introduction of modern management systems, procedures and equipment“.

The numerous problems associated with management and operation of distribution networks under IWS as well as the critical challenges entailed in moving to 24×7 water supply forms the core objectives of the IWA IWS Specialist Group (IWSSG). The work that is undertaken by the IWS Specialist Group will help to better understand what the root causes of intermittent supply are and how to apply, in a simple and practical manner, solutions which will assist water utilities operating their networks under intermittent water supply and to document in a structured manner cases that were successful to move from IWS to continuous supply in a sustainable manner.

The main causes for intermittent water supply

Source: HASSAN ABOELNGA

About IWA Specialist Groups 

IWA Specialist Groups cover a wide range of subjects and are one of the main mechanisms for like- minded IWA members to network and share knowledge. They form important engines for scientific and technical content development that drives innovations in the water sector. Spread across IWA’s membership in more than 130 countries, they are an effective means of international networking, sharing information and skills, and making professional and business contacts.

As countries across the world increasingly experience water scarcity, the ‘water-is-the-new-oil’ adage has come to the fore thousand times. So too has ‘data-is-the-new-oil’, this time to reflect the immense commercial value of data in a global digital economy. If we were to think of data as the new water instead, it may take us to ponder over the way data can help facilitate sustainable management of water resources, more efficient use of water, and ultimately, democratise access to safe drinking water and sanitation so that no one is left behind.

In 1993 the United Nations designated 22^nd of March as World Water Day as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme in 2019, “Leaving No One Behind”, links directly to the human rights to water and sanitation (A/RES/64/292 and A/RES/70/169 Resolutions)[1] and politically to the Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. It is a day to pause and reflect on our attitudes towards water, to stop taking water for granted. It is a day to think about why many women, youth, children, refugees, indigenous people, disabled people, and many others are being left behind and what it is like for billions of people around the world who cannot simply get access to safely managed water and sanitation.

According to the UN World Water Development Report 2019,” if the degradation of the natural environment and the unsustainable pressure on global water resources continue at current rates, 45% of global Gross Domestic Product and 40% of global grain production will be at risk by 2050. Poor and marginalized populations will be disproportionately affected, further exacerbating already rising inequalities.”

While current water trends paint a rather sobering picture for the future, there are many reasons to be optimistic. There is increasing awareness of the challenges and eagerness to find new approaches to ensure that no one is left behind and break the barriers to ensure this vital resource is managed wisely and responsibly to meet the sustainable development goal on water and sanitation (SDG6). However, to achieve this we need reliable, timely and granular data to monitor the positive or negative trends, and to change the way we make decisions today.

Hassan Aboelnga, speaking at the session “Hydrological Observation Data and Services for Good Governance” at World Water Week 2018

Today, water in many countries fall far short of the fundamental goal of being complete, accessible and usable so that they are readily available and useful for making decisions. Almost 60% of countries do not have data available for more than four global SDG6 indicators, and only 6% reported on more than eight global indicators, representing a major knowledge gap.[2]

According to WHO and UNICEF’s Joint Monitoring Programme, only 96 c (representing 35% of the global population) can report on safely managed water, and only a total of 84 countries (representing 48% of the global population) have reported on safely managed sanitation. Data availability can achieve a paradigm shift in conserving and adequately managing water, changing people behavior, spurring innovations and encourage deepened cooperation amongst riparian countries in transboundary basins.

The below figure is a good example on how data can be a game-changer in sustainable development not only because of the major difference between urban and rural areas but also in the way we set our targets from basic water services in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to safely managed water and sanitation in the SDGs to be met by 2030. It is clear that we are not on track to meet SDG6, according to UN-Water Synthesis report[3]; especially if we continue with business as usual. Indeed, we may find that by 2030, millions more people will have been left behind. While millions of people worldwide have gained access to water services in recent years, many continue to suffer from Intermittent Water Supply.

The High Level Panel on Water issued last year a report titled ‘Making Every Drop Count’ with various recommendations for increasing water sustainability. One of these was the World Water Data Initiative. This initiative aims to improve access to water data required for evidence-based decision making, primarily by reducing the cost and complexity for governments and communities.

As shown in the below figure, the output of the initiative has three pillars of reform: policy, innovation and harmonisation to improve cost-effective access to water data.

Figure on high level outputs of the World Water Data Initiative.

Data sharing – ‘An open mind on open data’

Albert Einstein wrote: “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking”. Data sharing is critical for the success of good governance in water management, the good water governance. It is important to address the barriers for data sharing in terms of legal restrictions or concerns around intellectual property, privacy, or potential liability.

However, the public sector is pressured to make its data openly available. Open data can  have significant benefits that could drive good governance, and make government and public utilities more transparent, accountable, and efficient. Moreover, open data can open the way to citizen empowerment. For instance, as per UNICEF, real-time monitoring has enabled the rural communities in Zimbabwe to obtain the WASH services they need.

We must be able to make the utilisation of data and without adequate processing capacity or decision support systems, many individuals and institutions may not be able to make use of large volumes of data effectively. In consequence, there is a desperate need to consider access to and usability of data for decision making and moreover,including the capacities of the stakeholders to make use of large volumes of data.

Data is the new water that will help ensure no one is left behind. Improved access to water data and better frameworks can help conserve water resources, change individual behaviour and spur innovations. But it requires robust infrastructure, good governance, sustainable funding, and long-term investment with engaged commitment from all stakeholders!

Identifying the most innovative solutions to improve the availability and use of water data, it is important to form alliances namely with the private sector, technical agencies, politicians, and civil society to fill critical data gaps and ensure the continuity of attention needed to ensure no one is left behind. It is also critical to incorporate new data sources with long established ones, so that it is necessary to streamline the data governance and quality frameworks to ensure the transparent mechanisms.

It is clear that there is a huge scope for innovation in big data technologies and the rise of digital water. This will not only bring optimisation to life for water utilities, reduce inequality , human biases and errors that are common with heuristic decision, it will reduce the transaction costs, the time involved in making these critical decisions to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

For more information, consult the outcomes of data for good governance session at Stockholm World Water Week 2018.

References

[1] https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/publications/PWH_No_one_left_behind/No_one_left_behind_E.pdf / UN Resolution: 2010: https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/64/292, UN Resolution 2015: https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/169

[2] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/19901SDG6_SR2018_web_3.pdf

[3] http://www.unwater.org/publication_categories/sdg-6-synthesis-report-2018-on-water-and-sanitation/

Today many cities around the world have been facing great change pressures of increasing demands due to population growth, urbanization, influx of displaced people, climate change with hydrological extremes such as floods and droughts. All of these have put a great pressure on our socio economic development, increased vulnerability of our water resources and influenced the way we manage water today. As a result many people suffer from unsafe or intermittent water supply in their daily lives!

Water is an essential element of life as well as a cross cutting element of sustainable development. It is key to food, energy and health security as well as poverty eradication, and therefore it is not surprising that water is covered under the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), either directly or indirectly, which makes me believe that if we fail to achieve SDG number 6 on water, we fail in all the other SDGs. Simply put: No Water, No future.

Adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have shaped and calibrated to express the needs and aspirations of the world to provide universal, equitable, safe, and affordable water and sanitation services (WSS) by 2030, along with other improvements in the way water is managed as a resource.

SDG 6 comprises eight ambitious targets rolled into one, and these targets go far beyond the challenge of meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for water by addressing the entire water cycle affecting the availability and quality of those services. The SDG6 sets the bar higher by shifting from infrastructure delivery and access to basic WSS in the MDG period into comprehensive, sustainable, and safely managed WSS.

At a global level, the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for water was achieved by 2010 and 2.6 billion people gained access to improved water but these services do not necessarily provide safe water. Despite this worldwide effort, 660 million people still lack access to clean water (WHO/UNICEF 2015). Due to aspirations of SDG 6, the figures have grown up, some 3 in 10 people worldwide, or 2.1 billion, lack access to safe, readily available water at home (WHO/UNICEF 2017)

Due to limited and mismanaged resources, water supply is intermittent in many cities around the world that aggravate the challenge to achieve SDG6. The scale of IWS is growing: nowadays 1.2 billion people have access to water infrastructure but do not receive continuous water supply. The condition where water is provided for a limited period is called Intermittent Water Supplies (IWS).  The numerous problems associated with management and operation of distribution networks under IWS put us in a vicious cycle of water management (https://www.thesourcemagazine.org/beyond-urban-water-security-the-vulnerability-of-intermittent-water-supplies/), increase the level of non revenue water andcause inequity within the country that can be a significant factor in exacerbating poverty SDG1.

“If we continue to follow a business‐as‐usual pathway with the same water governance under intermittent water supply, many countries have a long way to go to achieve the SDG6 by 2030”.

(WHO 2012) estimated that the economic cost of poor WSS in developing countries amounted to  about $260 billion per year through a range of different impacts—from poor health to environmental degradation—which equates to 1.5 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) In some very poor countries, this figure may rise to 10 percent of GDP.

The need to solve systemic problems of IWS is extremely urgent not only because of the growing complexity of today’s challenges, but also because such problems require new mindsets, approaches, collective actions, large monetary and resource investments with multi-generational consequences. Transitioning toward secure and continuous water supply is the only way that these trends will be reversed and get the SDG6 back on track.

According to Bambos Charalambous, the Chair of IWS SG at the International Water Association (IWA) “The status quo is not enough; we need to shift IWS to 24/7; it is easy to turn 24/7 supply to IWS but it takes years to get back the continuous supply”.

On this note, as management committee member of IWS SG at IWA, I am happy to invite you to the 1st IWS conference that will take place in, Kampala, Uganda, the pearl of Africa from the 7th to the 9th of April, 2019. The IWS conference aims to advance the knowledge and share experiences on Intermittent Water Supply (IWS) and to frame the problem within its technical, institutional, financial and social contexts.  It will provide an opportunity for water researchers, engineers and experts from academia, industry, governments and water utilities to exchange experiences, and knowhow on how to improve conditions under IWS and on how to develop methodologies to improve and transition to continuous.

Submission for abstracts is open until 18^thNovember 2018.

Please send your abstract committee@iws2019.org.

References:

• WHO (World Health Organization). 2012. “Global Costs and Benefits of Drinking-Water Supply and Sanitation Interventions to Reach the MDG Target and Universal Coverage.” Analytical report, WHO/HSE/WSH/12.01, WHO, Geneva
• WHO/UNICEF (World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s  Fund). 2015. Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment. Geneva
• WHO/UNICEF (World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s  Fund). 2017. Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines. Geneva

Water is at the heart of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems and human survival. To provide an in-depth review of the global status of Sustainable Development Goal 6 and inform discussions among all 193 UN Member States during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, UN-Water has produced the SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation. Alarmingly, according to the report, “The world is not on track to reach the SDG 6 on Water and Sanitation by the deadline set for 2030.”

The UN- Water report makes sobering reading, serves as a baseline and prognosis for the SDG 6. Amid its multiple highlights and recommendations, it is clear that there is an innovation deficit in water management and we still face the fundamental challenge of doing more with less. “What this report makes clear is that we must tackle weak funding, planning, capacity and governance of water and sanitation services as a top priority. New partnerships are needed, involving stakeholders within and beyond the water and sanitation sectors, to address these fundamental issues, balance competing needs, and act to get SDG 6 back on track. Data and smart technologies must be embraced so interventions can be as effective as possible and progress tracked over time”.

In a rapidly changing world, we are still solving new problems with old solutions and our experience turns to be our worst enemy. Solving wicked water problems requires creativity and innovation to turn risks into opportunities, providing fit for purpose solutions, and changing the financing mechanisms of water, providing strong governmental leadership and accountability, as well as recognizing young water professionals as key stakeholders, acknowledging multiple knowledge cultures, and accepting the inevitability of uncertainty. The 2030 Agenda can only be realized with a strong commitment to partnerships at all levels and ensure leaving no one behind. As Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank’s Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and Partnerships, said: “Innovation work doesn’t happen in isolation, it requires a network of ideas, individuals, and institutions to come together to be more than a sum of their parts.”

It is very clear that the status quo is not enough to achieve the ‘water goal’ and bridge the financial gap in face of increasing demands and climate change. As shown in the figure, SDG6 sets the performance bar higher than the millennium development goal 7 by addressing the reliability and quality of water services, which makes achieving water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) much harder. According to (WHO and UNICEF 2017), 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services.

Figure Costs of Extending WASH Access under SDGs (2016–30) Compared with MDGs (2000–15), (World Bank, 2017)

Public utilities and governments are typically unable to meet development finance demands solely through public resources and have to attract new sources of financing. Unlocking private sector capital for development projects that aim at providing safe and affordable water and sanitation services to the poor is particularly challenging due to uncertaintainties in return on investment and limited regulatory framework to ensure the democratic ownership, effectiveness and accountability. This is where innovative solutions are needed. These financial obstacles can be translated into opportunities at local level in which crowd funding schemes with enabling environment can be a game changer in creating fit for purpose solutions to financial challenges and empowering young water professionals and innovators in partnership with local government, private sectors, and research groups.

We must think differently about water to ensure food security, conserve delicate ecosystems and end poverty by 2030. This paradigm shift can be achieved by changing the way we manage water today, shifting from centralized solutions to decentralized solutions, reducing and managing the high level of non-revenue water, transforming our perspective from a linear ‘use and dispose’ approach to a more sustainable circular economy model, attaching values to the resources and harnessing the water, energy and food nexus in the entire water system especially wastewater (World Bank, 2018). In addition to investment, technological exchange is a core requirement for successful implementation of the SDG6 to transfer the affordable, scalable solutions that are available and it can therefore increase collaboration between regions and provide a sustainable boost to both developing and developed economies.

Achieving the SDG6 relies not only on setting goals, but also on a responsive approach to the voice and needs of local communities and young water professionals. By engaging youth in decision-making, empowering and equipping them with skills, knowledge and confidence in their abilities, there is a real chance that global leaders can harness the potential of youth to reach the SDGs by 2030.

Connect with the global community of IWA Young Water Professionals to shape the future of the water sector!

References:

• World Bank. 2017. “Easing the Transition to Commercial Finance for Sustainable Water
  and Sanitation.” Working paper, World Bank, Washington, DC.
• World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2017b). Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines.Geneva. Available from https://washdata.org/report/jmp-2017-report-fnal.
• http://www.unwater.org/publication_categories/sdg-6-synthesis-report-2018-on-water-and-sanitation/
• World Bank (2018). http://blogs.worldbank.org/water/wastewater-treatment-critical-component-circular-economy

Many cities today are at risk of running out of water, with water availability now cited as one of the greatest risks to business continuity and growth. It is very clear that the way water is managed today in many parts of the world poses serious risks to human wellbeing and sustainable development. Imagine going through your day with limited access (only for a couple of hours per day or a couple of days per week) to store water in your home for drinking, cooking, washing or bathing. The condition where water is provided for a limited period of time is called Intermittent Water Supplies (IWS), and affects at least 1.3 billion people around the world.

The scale of systems operating under IWS conditions is expected to intensify as water demand continues to increase due to rapid urbanization and on the other hand water supplies tend to decrease due to climate variability thus posing a great challenge to achieve urban water security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under conditions of water resource shortage many countries have turned to IWS policies as a means of controlling water demand and expanding their existing domestic water supply. Unfortunately, adoption of intermittent water supply systems aggravates urban water insecurity, as it fails to consider the impact on the condition of the water supply systems and the detrimental effects on public health. IWS fails to provide citizens with safe and sustainable water services and to protect them from water-related calamities.

IWS can be seen as a downward spiral (schematically shown below) where increased urbanisation leads to higher water demand. Water utilities tend to respond with network expansion, which often takes place after poor planning, and extend the network beyond capacity, thus lowering the quality of service for consumers. This leads to an inadequate water supply for towns and agglomerations, which may entice people (mostly the privileged) to take matters in their own hands and proceed with private investments that will improve their service.
 

Figure: The downward spiral of IWS / Source: Charalambous, B. and Laspidou, C. (2017). Dealing with the complex interrelation of intermittent supply and water losses. London, UK: IWA Publishing, pp.22-28.

The implications of the intermittent supply are many and complex, leading to adverse impacts upon society, along various dimensions:

• IWS service costs more than continuous service.
• Intermittent hours of water supply force customers to rely on black-markets or informal vendors, often serving higher-income citizens, thereby exacerbating inequalities among users. IWS service costs more than continuous service, and users bear the brunt of having to pay more to access water services via alternative routes. It also weakens the social contract between governments and their communities when water utilities fail to deliver basic water services, perpetuating a downward spiral of water insecurity and fragility in many developing countries. For example, riots broke out in Algeria in 2002 and in Bolivia in 2000 over water shortages.
• Impacts of climate change on IWS can act as risk multipliers in fragile contexts, contributing to conflict, violence, or migration.
• Water quality problems due to the potential suction of non-potable water by negative pressures, biofilm detachment, and microbial re-growth especially when static conditions occur. Roof tanks often encourage bacterial re-growth.
• IWS holds back gender equity. As the task of providing water for households falls disproportionately to women and girls, especially in rural areas. IWS locks women in a cycle of poverty and it is hard to imagine that women’s and girls’ experiences will improve without intentional efforts to deal with intermittent water supply.

Achieving a paradigm shift from IWS to continuous supply is only possible by changing the way we manage water today. As Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – The numerous problems associated with management and operation of distribution networks under IWS as well as the critical challenges entailed in moving to 24/7 water supply forms the core objectives of the IWA IWS Specialist Group (IWSSG). The work that is undertaken by the IWS Specialist Group will help to better understand what the root causes of intermittent supply are and how to apply, in a simple and practical manner, solutions which will assist water utilities operating their networks under intermittent water supply and to document in a structured manner cases that were successful to move from IWS to continuous supply in a sustainable manner.

The  IWA IWS Specialist Group stresses the importance of addressing the challenges of intermittent water supply in the policies and plans of sustainable water management, which interconnects with all sustainable development goals.

IWA IWSSG aims to provide leadership in the development of effective and sustainable international best practice to improve the Level of Service in Intermittent Water Supply.

How to get involved? Join our IWA Connect group, LinkedIn group and Facebook Page and check out our news bulletin