SINE IIT Bombay Startup; IP For Reliable and Efficient Water Distribution System
Information
Information regarding
Water Supply Systems
Providing Continuous Water Supply (CWS) to the consumers is the ultimate goal of any Water Supply System (WSS). However, Intermittent Water Supply (IWS) is prevalent in most developing countries. Specifically, in India, IWS is prevalent. IWS results in increased non-revenue water (NRW), inequitable supply, deterioration of network and water quality, and so on. The WSS of India is trapped in a vicious cycle of failure, wherein the failure of one factor initiates the decline in the performance of another element. Ultimately, the system fails to deliver a sufficient water supply. The shortcomings in the design, operation, maintenance, revenue generation, and institutional setup aspects of WSS are the drivers for the vicious cycle of WSS failure. A thorough understanding of the actual ground condition is crucial to improving the performance of WSS.
The current WSS operating situation, converting the IWS to CWS directly, will cause further complications, as this approach will not address the drivers of the IWS. This method will not efficiently utilize the investment required to achieve CWS, as the WSS will revert to IWS with such a direct transfer. An intermediate step of increasing the performance of the current IWS should be taken to break the vicious cycle of failure. The deployment of appropriate design and operation interventions is necessary to improve the present IWS.
A gradual shift to CWS is achievable once the performance of IWS has been improved and consumer satisfaction has been reached. A change like this will result in long-term CWS. To summarise, converting IWS to CWS directly will only serve to reinforce the vicious cycle of failure. To get around these problems, an intermediate step is required to bridge the gap between IWS and CWS.