Technology of Small Community Water Supply Systems in Developing Countries

Abstract

The professed goal of World Health Organization—to supply potable water to the poorest of the poor in the developing countries by the year 1990—appears to be quite an optimistic one in view of the existing situation in the developing countries, where potable water is still out of the reach of 80% of the populace. Supplying potable water to the rural population in these countries is quite a gigantic task owing to lack of physical and institutional resources. Any major effort at providing safe potable water to rural populations should first aim at improvement of the small community water supply systems. Small community water supply systems in these countries generally include: (1) Groundwater supplies; (2) rain water storage basins; and (3) surface water storage basins. Existing technologies of small community water supply systems in Indonesia and India are discussed and recommendations are made for improving their technical performance to meet the professed United Nations potable water supply goals.