Infrastructure Asset Management Ideas – Intermittent Water Supplies

At the recent Pacific Water Conference (Sept. 2014) in American Samoa, my colleague Richard Taylor from Thomas Civil and Environmental Consultants delivered a paper ‘Intermittent Water Supplies – an International Update’.

This paper drew on work from the IWA pre-conference workshop on intermittent water supplies (April 2014) and referenced work from the workshops main presenters (who provided Richard with permission to share the information) these were:

• Bambos Charalambous (J2C Water Ltd) – CYPRUS
• Anand Jalakam (Jalakam Solutions) – INDIA
• Dr. Harrison Mutikanga (Kampala Water) – AFRICA

With Richards kind permission the paper abstract and slides are included in this blog.

Abstract:  At the 2014 International Water Association Water Loss Conference held earlier this year, a pre-conference workshop was held on intermittent water supplies (IWS). Intermittent water supplies arise when water production for a water supply network is insufficient to supply customers 24 hours a day, or, when the water supply is intentionally shut down to save water (and/or power). This session summarises information provided by several international speakers at the pre-conference workshop. The presentation includes data from India and Africa and the experience in Cyprus where intermittent water supplies were introduced over several years during a water supply crisis. The causes, implications, challenges, and recommendations mentioned by the international speakers will be summarised. The international speakers have all given approval for their information to be used at the Pacific Water Conference. As there are intermittent water supplies in the Pacific member nations, the presentation should be of interest and helpful to those wishing to deal with the intermittent supplies existing in their region.

Richard’s paper generated on-going discussion at the Pacific Water Conference as intermittent water supplies are a real and on-going issue for many Pacific water utilities.

The issues associated with the ‘Vicious Cycle’ highlighted in the paper were commented on by many delegates.

The ‘Vicious Cycle’ is summarised as:

• Growth in demand and/or reduced supply
• Low supply pressures, unable to supply 24/7
• Intermittent supply
• Increased leakage and O&M costs, reduced revenue
• Unable to rectify the situation, increased leakage

Richard’s paper pointed out that intermittent water supplies have impacts on:

• Customer service
• Demand
• Infrastructure operation
• Infrastructure lifecycle management
• Financial – revenue loss

The paper concluded with strategies to eliminate intermittent water supply.

The slides are well worth reviewing, and if you are involved in water utilities infrastructure management of a water supply network with intermittent supply issues, I am sure there are many takeaway observations there.

The learning for infrastructure asset management practitioners is that intermittent water supply is to be avoided as the ‘Vicious Cycle’ keeps on rolling and making your management and recovery harder and harder.  

Damage to your pipes, fittings, and meters is an on-going issue with intermittent water supply, which will inevitably lead to higher asset lifecycle costs.

The discussion this paper generated at the Pacific Water Conference was a real advantage for the utility managers present – it wasn’t just them and their utility that had the issue, and subsequent discussions were able to move on to starting to talk about possible solutions and management strategies to get out of the ‘Vicious Cycle’

I would encourage similar discussion here – it will assist in growing knowledge and understanding, and also the development of practical infrastructure management solutions that work for practitioners who are dealing with the issue of intermittent water supplies.